Lion King Modern Human Version 3: Rise Of HYENA
by JJZ-109
Summary: A King's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. But his enemies do not. They fall, then rise again. A nasty, familiar trio has returned to Prideland City, and they are more powerful then ever. They become responsible for some of the worst crimes known in the Pridelands, and put the Royal family in the most dangerous position ever. Please read my first two stories first.
1. Prologue: Prideland Airport Massacre

**So this is the much awaited third and final chapter in my modern Lion King Modern Human Version series. Warning: This story will be a lot more dark than the previous two. A HUGE thanks to Haradion who gave me the idea for the plot line of this story. I hope you enjoy and I'm looking forward to writing this. This is not based of a film and will include many original characters. I hope no readers are offended by the gruesome opening.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**PROLOGUE: PRIDELAND AIRPORT MASSACRE**

_Prideland City International Airport, Three years after the marriage of Kovu and Kiara_

Three familiar people, all dressed in suits with bulletproof vests over the top, approached the elevator anxiously. They were all heavily armed, and carried weapons that ranged from a twelve-gauge shotgun, to huge M240 machine guns. They stopped in front of the elevator door and started loading their weapons up, and checking ammunition. They all carried at least a thousand rounds, with M67 grenades and pistols. A lot of kills meant a lot of ammo.

Shenzi pressed the elevator button and tapped her foot anxiously as the elevator descended towards them at a painfully slow rate. The service elevators were always slower, especially when you needed to hack into them to make them work. Eventually, they heard the much-awaited _DONG _and the elevator doors opened. Shenzi nodded and the three of them stepped into the elevator without hesitation. She was dying to get off the blasted maintenance level. They were in the Prideland City Airport maintenance level, which was usually deserted and was where they could prepare for the task ahead of them. It was far too easy for Ed to hack into the security cameras and switch them all off.

Meanwhile, two men disguised as workers watched on. They wore high visibility vests and hardhats, as well as Bluetooth earpieces that were carefully hidden behind the side of their helmets. The first man pulled off his glasses in shock and looked at his older, more experienced partner.

"Jesus Christ...Did we just see all that?" He asked, and breathed heavily in fear.

"Yeah we did. Just keep it together kid, we have got to alert..._everyone." _The other man said and put his hand onto his earpiece.

"Dispatch this is Uniform Six-Two. Listen...We have a suspected terrorist attack on the Airport...We need the whole goddamn cavalry here RIGHT NOW! Otherwise a lot of people will die. Do you read me? Over." Lieutenant Conner Palladino (Call-sign 'Kopa') said over the microphone, alarmed.

He felt his stomach drop when all he heard in response was static. _Son of a bitch...They cut the airport's communications. _He thought and took a moment to take it all in. He was experienced all right, but never had to deal with a situation like this before. He had been a PI1 officer (Prideland Intelligence) for as long as he could remember, he had dropped out of high school as a teenager and was noticed by the agency for his cool head and courage. They recruited him as a sixteen year old and he had served with them ever since. In all his years there, he had never come across anything like this. Hundreds of lives now rested on his hands.

"Come on, we're going to have to stop them ourselves." He said and started sprinting towards the staircase, it was unlikely that they would outrun the elevator, but they had to try.

_Meanwhile, in the elevator_

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed checked over their weapons one final time before they got to their desired floor, and secured bandannas around their faces. This was the day they made themselves known; as more than just common mobsters that used to hang around the streets of East Side, and more than just a few angry citizens. Scar had screwed them over, and so had Simba. This was how they would hurt him. This was the rise of H-Y-E-N-A.

"May God be with us." Shenzi said and her two comrades nodded.

She heard the elevator door beep, and start to retract. She took the opportunity to say one last thing before they started their evil task.

"Remember...No prisoners." She hissed and Banzai cracked his knuckles.

They stepped out into the terminal and looked around, hundreds of innocent people were crammed there as all their flights were delayed by the communication failure. They looked around and constantly checked their watches, anxiously awaiting an answer to their delay.

Banzai looked at Shenzi and she nodded, they then lifted their machine guns and pointed them at the huge crowd. Banzai cocked his assault rifle and the familiar _Cla-Chik! _sound broke out.

In the crowd, a mother watched her two children innocently play with each other as they awaited their flight call, but it never came. She smiled and looked at her kids again. _I've raised such angels..._ She thought and turned around; towards where the service elevator was. Three armed people stood there, watching them all. Her smile slowly faded away as she saw them; they weren't security guards. Their weapons were far too big and they didn't wear the uniform. Then suddenly the three pointed the guns in their direction. _What the hell? _It only then dawned on her what they were doing. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. So she dived on top of her children, hoping to save them...but it was no use.

_RATATATATATATATATATATANG!_

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed gunned down the entire crowd of civilians in cold blood. Their plan was simple, storm through the airport, kill anything that moved, make themselves known to Simba, then get the hell out. Shenzi felt a smug smile appear in the corner of her mouth as they advanced forward, through the piles of dead bodies and the growing pool of blood it left behind. Innocent men, women, children, and families were all cut down by the hailstorm of bullets.

They heard screams break out not too far away, but the screams were quickly silenced by machine gun fire. Soon, the entire airport had burst into chaos. People ran for their lives, and many were shot as they ran. The screams of thousands now drowned out the sound of gunfire. A few police officers then stormed through a doorway; guns pointed at them. Shenzi wasted no time and fired a solitary M203 grenade at them, blowing them all to pieces with one shot. _So weak..._She thought as they advanced towards the runways.

As they walked, Banzai noticed the flight-status sign hanging over the doorway. All the flight statuses slowly clicked to _DELAYED _written in white against a red background. The sign made a haunting _click-click-click-click..._ noise as all the statuses flicked over to delayed. Banzai smiled when he saw this. _Flights delayed? I wonder why..._

Soon they blasted their way down to runway, away from the terminal, leaving no human alive. _This'll piss of Simba for sure. _Shenzi thought, they had single-handedly surpassed their own record for the most people killed in a single terrorist attack in the Pridelands. After they had made their way onto the airfield, the terminal became dead silent. There were no more living voices to fill it.

_Five minutes later_

Lieutenant Conner 'Kopa' Palladino and his new field partner Agent Harrison 'Haradion' Dion had arrived on the scene, sweating and panting from their sprint up the stairs. What they saw in front of them made their stomachs drop. There were endless rows of dead bodies, and a sea of red blood covering the floor. Dion had the sudden urge to be sick, and put his head in his hands at the sight in front of him. They had been too late.

He collapsed to the ground, holding back tears. They could have stopped them. His mentor 'Kopa' was his usual emotionless self and just shook his head in defeat. He put a hand on his shoulder as he cried and knelt down next to him.

"Look kid...There's nothing we could have done. I know this a lot for someone to see at your age (twenty-one) but we need to get going. We can't dwell on it otherwise we'll never be able to make the bastards pay. It wasn't your fault." He assured him and helped his partner to his feet.

"Now let's get going...We got us a fight to catch." Palladino said and pulled out a compact pistol from his jacket.

_On the runway_

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were all pinned down behind an idle 747 jumbo jet. They had managed to get themselves into a full-blown fire fight with the Prideland SWAT, who were quick to arrive on the scene. However, they were severely outmatched when it came to firepower. They slowly advanced towards the 747, with riot shields blocking the bullets fired at them. _Okay then you leave me no choice..._Shenzi thought and readied her grenade launcher again.

She fired two shots, one that blew the advancing SWAT team away and one that blew their vehicle into a huge ball of fire. They were clear to advance to their extraction point now.

"Come on...Let's get out of here." She yelled out and started running into a maintenance vehicle garage. Banzai and Ed followed close behind.

"I've waited a long time for this..." Banzai added as they ran.

"Haven't we all." Shenzi replied. She could hear more SWAT vehicles roll up outside and several ambulances' sirens. This would only help to disguise them even more.

They finally reached their marked garage and an ambulance waited for them; it was their ticket out of there. The back doors to the ambulance opened and a driver wearing a white lab coat ushered them inside.

"You sent a strong message with this attack." The driver said in a thick German accent.

"That was no message..." Shenzi hissed then looked at her watch.

The security cameras were going to reactivate soon. _Five...four...three...two...one. _She thought and looked up at the security camera in the room, which had suddenly turned on again. She had timed this whole operation to such precision she had even impressed herself.

When camera swiveled to face her, she tore the bandanna off her face and looked up, so the camera could see her. She smiled at it evilly then turned towards the ambulance. Everyone had gotten in the car already and was waiting for her.

"When they see my face on the security footage...Simba and all of the Pridelands will cry for war." She snickered and the ambulance driver stamped down on the accelerator and the siren wailed. He drove away as if they carried legitimate casualties, disguising them amongst the other hundreds of ambulances arriving on the scene.

_A few minutes later_

Lieutenant Palladino and Agent Dion arrived at the scene of the escape, and sighed.

"Jesus Christ...They got away." Palladino snarled and Dion threw his pistol down against the ground in pure rage.

He sighed again and turned to face his angered partner.

"Don't worry...We'll get them. They're common mobsters and we're cops. Think about it kid. We'll find them."

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**How was that to start us off? Not too nasty was it? (It is essential to the plot) Once again, big thanks to Haradion for supplying me with a plot line and a few new characters. Please Review!**


	2. One Big Happy Family

**So this is the official start of MHV3 (Modern Human Version 3). It is set right after Kovu's infamous nightmare from the second story (but before the nasty airport massacre), and it will explain some of it. Thanks for the instant reviews and keep 'em coming. I apologize if the opening was a little too intense for a T-rating. **

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 1: ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY**

_Three weeks before the airport massacre, just after Kovu's nightmare about killing Simba._

Kovu twisted and turned in his bed, and morning didn't come quick enough for him. It was only then that he drifted off to sleep, and sleep without dreams. That night he had experienced a terrible nightmare, one where he still felt hatred towards Simba and killed him. It pained him to even think about it, he felt so lucky to have the family he did, he was married to Kiara and she now carried his child, and he would never hurt her or her father, who he now felt was like a father to him. How could he dream something like that? It wasn't an ordinary dream...he felt the hate and the satisfaction of succeeding. Not only that, but when he woke he found his scar was bleeding, which hadn't happened since Zira had slashed it. Was this some sort of sign that maybe Scar still lived in him? _No...It can't be. Scar's been dead for more than twenty years and I hate him just as much as everyone else in this blasted country does._

When Kovu finally drifted off to sleep, it was almost six AM. He slept on, and eventually another dream came on.

_Kovu was walking his dog peacefully through the memorial park when suddenly his fourteen-year-old son, Sam appears from behind a tree. Kovu smiles and orders his dog to sit._

"_Son...What brings you out here?" He asks, still smiling._

"_I finished your job dad." Sam says in a proud tone._

"_What job was that?" Kovu asks and raises an eyebrow._

"_I killed grandpa Simba." Sam says proudly and shows him Simba's blood stained Desert Eagle pistol._

"_YOU WHAT? I NEVER HAD THAT JOB! WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU TO..." Kovu thunders in rage and suddenly a familiar voice broke out behind him._

"_I told him...my son." The voice said, in its distinctive British accent and Kovu turns around to see Scar._

"_You...no...You're dead." Kovu stutters in terror and tries to reach for a concealed pistol but invisible forces restrain him._

"_It really disappoints me that my own son can even finish the most simple of tasks...Even when he was closer than ever. However, if you can't...your son can. And now he will finish the next task I set for him..." Scar says evilly and an evil smile sweeps across his face._

_Sam proudly raises Simba's Desert Eagle and points it at Kovu's head. Scar's smile stretches further when he sees this and his eyes glow a haunting bright red._

"_Do it." He hisses in a evil voice and Sam pulls the trigger on his own father._

"_NOOO!" Kovu screams when suddenly a warm hand grabs his shoulder._

Kovu awoke in a fright, with Kiara's gentle hand on his shoulder. He gasped at the touch at first, still on edge but then slowly started to relax as he realized it was all another dream. _What a terrible night. _Kovu thought and grasped Kiara's hand tight. Scar was dead, his child still wasn't born and Simba was alive. He sighed and sat up on the bed, as Kiara massaged his shoulders.

"Bad dream?" She asked and Kovu nodded.

"Yeah...first one for a while now. How'd you and junior sleep?" Kovu said and stood up, wearing his boxers and singlet.

"Fine. Now come on, Timon's cooked breakfast for everyone and you're the only one missing out. I'm hungry." She said and slipped out of her pajamas.

Kovu watched her as she did so, and she was still as beautiful as ever, even though she was six months pregnant. Her stomach bulged out in front of her, and she wasn't as lively as she used to be, but that was about it. She was still the same Kiara he fell in love with. When she was dressed she turned to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you." Kovu whispered and ran one hand through her hair, and rubbed her belly with the other.

"I love you too, but I also love bacon and eggs. Everyone's waiting for us, so let's go eat eh?" Kiara said and started walking down the corridor, with a drowsy Kovu following close behind.

They entered the dining room and Simba, Nala, Pumbaa, Vitani were all sitting around the table patiently. Vitani was the only one who was fully dressed, wearing her usual brown tank top and her signature red bandanna was tied around her head. When Nala saw Kovu she swallowed her food and blurted out:

"Hey! Sleeping beauty's awake! Took you long enough I'm starving..." She said and Timon entered the dining room on cue, wearing an apron and carrying two huge steaming dishes.

"Well that problem's about to be solved." He said and placed the two dishes in the middle of the table, one pan had several fried eggs in it and the other had many pieces of bacon.

"Breakfast is served." He announced and everyone started serving themselves.

Kovu poured himself a glass of orange juice and took a sip. Everyone ate peacefully for several minutes, like families should until Nala broke the silence.

"Did you hear that the PI1 science division has started a new weapons research program? They've made this chemical called E115 that's meant to..." Nala started but Simba cut her off.

"Honey we don't discuss weapons at the table." He said sharply.

"What's wrong with that? It's still in development and..." Nala started going on again but Simba interrupted.

"I said we don't discuss weapons at the table. That ain't what families talk about." Simba said and took a sip from his coffee.

"One big happy family..." Timon said sarcastically and Simba rolled his eyes.

Nala then finished her food and decided to change the topic.

"Did you hear that Rafiki's retiring as a doctor? He's sending the new guy here this morning." She said and Simba nodded.

"Yeah I did hear. Not too sure if he'll stay a priest either. He's getting pretty old now...What's he in his eighties now or something?" Simba asked and Nala nodded.

"Yeah, anyway he's sending the new doctor here at nine AM. Apparently he's some ex-military scientist, born in Germany." She announced and checked her watch, which read 8:51 AM. Her jaw dropped and she sprung out of her seat.

"Oh my God he's going to be here in under ten minutes! I need to get ready...I haven't got changed, I haven't got makeup on..." She rambled on but Simba put a hand up to calm her down.

"What do you need to get ready for? You don't need to impress him; he needs to impress us. We've been with Rafiki for quite some time now and I want to see that he's chosen a good replacement." Simba said firmly.

"Yeah mom, I really don't think he'd care if your hair's messed up; he's a doctor. And this is coming from me." Kiara added folded her knife and fork on her plate. Normally she was the one who was pedantic in those situations.

Nala ignored the both of them and rushed to get ready regardless, while everyone else finished up breakfast and began cleaning the table. _A new doctor? That's a shame...I really liked the old fella. _Kovu thought and started helping Timon bring the dishes to the kitchen.

Suddenly, a knock came on the royal family quarter's door. Nala rushed out of her room and up to the door, fully dressed and ready for the day.

"I'll get it!" She yelled out and Kovu laughed. Normally she was never in such a rush to impress someone.

Nala opened the door and revealed a man in his fifties wearing a white lab coat and tie. His grey hair was neatly combed back and he wore a pair of spectacles over his blue eyes. The man smiled when he saw her and offered a hand.

"Guten tag." He greeted her in a thick German accent. _So he's got good manners. _Simba thought and looked him over.

He was neatly dressed and carried a black brief case with them. When he saw Simba he politely walked over to him with a hand extended and a smile.

"Your majesty, my name is Doctor Hans Von Gonzo and I am here to replace Father Rafiki as your Doctor yes?" The man said and Simba shook his hand warily.

"Correct. Please have a seat and I'll make you a cup of coffee." Simba said and offered him a chair that Gonzo took.

Simba and Nala then both exited the room and went to the kitchen, leaving Kovu alone with the new Doctor. Kovu looked him over and so did the Doctor; suddenly they made eye contact. Kovu looked long and hard into his eyes and the Doctor glared back at him; his icy look was sending shivers up Kovu's spine. Kovu saw him shift his gaze, right onto his scar. _Something's weird about this guy._ Gonzo pointed at it and spoke.

"So...How did you get that scar?" He asked and Kovu was about to reply, when the door to the dining room swung open.

Simba appeared, holding a cup of coffee and a spoon. He placed it down on the table and turned to Dr. Von Gonzo.

"I made you an espresso with two sugars. Is that okay?" He asked and Gonzo nodded.

"Okay so let's discuss business. Kovu would you mind leaving us for a few minutes?" Simba said and Kovu nodded.

Suddenly Vitani burst out the kitchen, wearing her work uniform. (But she still had her headband and aviator sunglasses on.) She grabbed her car keys off the table and started towards the elevator door.

"Okay I'm off to work now. See you all later." She announced and rushed away.

She worked at the palace tourism center, as a receptionist. Unlike Kovu, she had adapted to the peaceful lifestyle much better than most and visited Kovu and the royal family almost every morning. She had originally tried out for the Prideland Royal Marine Corps (PRMC), but it reminded her too much of her old lifestyle and she decided to dump her military skills. She now had an apartment to herself and lived in peace, by herself.

Kovu started down the corridor and watched this Doctor Von Gonzo as he went. He happily chatted with Simba and he seemed impressed. Just as Kovu was in the doorway, the doctor's eye flicked around to face him, and gave him another sinister look. _What's his problem? _Kovu thought and watched him as he moved his hands on top of the table, revealing he only had four fingers on his right hand. His fourth finger almost completely missing and had a long scar on the stump that remained. _Weird. _Kovu thought and went to get changed out of his boxers and singlet.

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**How was that? Please review and if you have any ideas or questions don't hesitate to PM me :)**


	3. Dr Von Gonzo

**This is second chapter, and in case a few of you were wondering this is NOT a Call Of Duty/Lion King crossover. The prologue WAS inspired by _No Russian _but it plays a huge role in the plot of this story (Which has nothing to do with CoD) This is a sequel to my Lion King MHV 1&2 made from ideas given to me by other users. And no, Kiara will not give birth any time soon. As we can see, something is wrong with Kovu and how will it be solved? Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 2. DR. VON GONZO**

Kovu uncomfortably listened to music on his iPod while Dr. Von Gonzo gave Kiara her usual pregnancy check-up. For the first time ever, Kovu got to see what the baby looked like on the ultrasound. It was a boy, and was developing perfectly. This was great news to Kovu, he had always wanted a son to raise as his own, but he was still worried about that nightmare; where his own son had been turned by Scar to kill him. That of course could never happen; as Scar was long dead and the wise Simba promised him to help guide the child and raise it. The appointment soon came to a finish and Dr. Von Gonzo gave them his personal congratulations.

"Thank you doctor." Kiara said happily and pranced out the door.

"You're very welcome." Von Gonzo said back politely.

"Thanks." Kovu muttered to him as well after Kiara nudged him in the ribs.

"No problems. You are Kovu yes?" Gonzo asked in his thick German accent.

"Correct." Kovu confirmed.

"Kovu...I was wondering...You seemed a little on edge today. Why was that?" Dr. Von Gonzo asked and sat down on the Simba's sofa.

"No reason. I had a bit of a rough night that's all." Kovu replied and turned to face him.

"Insomnia? Back pains? What was the problem? I am a doctor and I can fix for you." Gonzo said and Kovu sighed.

"No. I had a few nasty nightmares, couldn't get to sleep because of them. Also gave me an epic headache." Kovu said and turned towards the door again, but Gonzo stopped him.

"Ah...Nightmares. I did take a course in psychology, I can try to help if you want." Gonzo offered and Kovu shook his head.

"I think I'll just try to grin and bear it." Kovu denied the offer; as for some reason he didn't trust this guy and he didn't want to be mouthing off about what haunted him most.

"Nonsense. You know prevention is better than cure." Gonzo said and Kovu nodded. _Ah what the hell? He's our new doctor; I need to learn to trust him. _

Kovu agreed and sat down in the chair in front of Von Gonzo. He leant forward and Gonzo took off his glasses to look into his eyes. Kovu studied him carefully; he could tell that Gonzo was trying to figure him out, which bothered him a little. He normally liked to remain unreadable. Kovu glanced at the doorway and saw that Kiara was gone, which was good. He didn't want her to hear what had been going through his head lately.

"So...These nightmares... What are they about?" Von Gonzo asked and rested his chin on his folded hands. Kovu took a deep breath before replying.

"My worst fears...To put it lightly." Kovu sighed and looked at the ground.

"And what are those fears?" Gonzo asked gently. Kovu looked up at him and looked him in the eyes, he was already battling tears just thinking about them.

"Me...Becoming what I'd sworn I would never be again; a murderer sent to kill my father in law and my wife. These dreams...weren't like normal dreams. I felt the hate, the satisfaction of succeeding, and the vengeance." Kovu mumbled and looked away from Gonzo as he nodded.

"You love Kiara and Simba yes?" Gonzo asked and Kovu nodded.

"And you would never want to hurt them, correct?" Kovu nodded again and looked into Von Gonzo's gave.

"Then the best advice I can give you is to spend more time with them and and try not to think about the nightmares." Gonzo suggested

"It's not that simple, a long time ago, I _was _an assassin, sent by my mother to kill the both of them. During the deep cover mission, I saw her evil ways and fell for Kiara, and looked up to Simba. My mother was... killed shortly after, and I became accepted as part of the royal family. I swore to myself and others that I was a changed person, but these nightmares convince me otherwise. They always depict me finishing my task, as if the evil still lives somewhere in me." Kovu said and Gonzo listened carefully.

"Kovu...Evil does not exist. People can decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, and their decisions might be seen as evil to others, but in reality it's just their opinion. Your morals can change...And you've told me yours have. So just remind yourself...You could change, and your parents (Zira and Scar) couldn't, which I've heard quite a bit about. So I can tell you to do this...Remind yourself about who you are, you've shown the power to change yourself, and that makes you better than your mother or father. You are a only good man if you believe you are, and you can't let a few bad dreams change you back." Von Gonzo said wisely and cleared his throat. Kovu nodded, as he started to see what he meant.

All Kovu had to do was _believe._

"As for the headaches you've been complaining about...I will give you these." Von Gonzo said and pulled out a small plastic bag full of yellow capsules.

"What are those?" Kovu asked and raised and eyebrow.

"Pain relievers of the newest type, they start working at around fourteen seconds on the average man and they last for hours. Absolute state of the art...I developed them myself in fact. Take one every evening and the nighttime headaches should stop, might even help you sleep better." Von Gonzo instructed him and Kovu took the bag.

"Thanks a lot Doc." Kovu said and shook his hand firmly. _Good handshake..._ Kovu thought, Simba had taught him a thing or two about telling about a man when you meet him.

"No problems. Feel free to ask my assistance when ever you need it." Von Gonzo offered and winked at him.

"Will do." Kovu said and left the room. _Maybe he's actually a good guy. Don't know what I was worried about before... Was it the four fingers on his right hand? Come on Kovu don't be stupid._

Kovu looked over the bag of pills Dr. Von Gonzo had given him and took one out as he entered Simba's kitchen. He then poured himself a glass of water and popped one of the pills into his mouth, before gulping it down with a sip of water. Kovu lowered the glass and waited for a few seconds.

Suddenly the pain disappeared completely and he was astonished. _Holy shit that was quick...This stuff actually works! Hell, I feel like a million bucks right now! What do they put in this?_

Kovu smiled and pretended to box the air before enthusiastically walking out of the room, with a spring in his step. He bounded towards the elevator door...right past the wall mounted mirror in the corridor.

He walked past, and in the corner of his eye he saw a figure in the mirror...one that didn't belong to him. The split-second image was of a man that was of a much lighter build than him, had short a goatee beard, long black hair brushed back and a bright red scar across the left eye. The image belonged to Taka 'Scar' Taylor, ex-dictator of the Pridelands, mass murderer and the worst man the country had known.

Kovu just saw the image for a split second and continued walking past. _Wait...what? Did I just see... _What had just happened started to dawn on Kovu and he backed up to get another look in the mirror, but he only saw his image staring back at him. Kovu shook his head and continued walking, a bit alarmed now. _I swear I just saw Scar instead of me…Ah it's just your imagination buddy. These nightmares are starting to get to you, just do what the Doc said and you'll be fine. _Kovu thought and got into the elevator, about to descend down the palace's thirty-eight floors. He hoped that was not yet another sign that Scar still lived inside him, it would join the facts that his scar had bled last night for the first time in years and these nightmares seemed to be sending messages to him. Kovu shook off the thoughts, as he knew what to do now...To _believe._

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**How was it? Don't forget to review!**_  
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	4. Stealing Weapons

**So this is a very important chapter. Kind of explains HYENA's background and some of lead up the airport massacre from the prologue. I don't think anyone really liked last chapter (There were no reviews to it) so I made this one a little more eventful. Don't forget to review at the end**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 3. STEALING WEAPONS**

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed crept through an underground sewer, slowly and carefully stepping through the puddles of water. They had been following the tunnel for hours, and were finally about to reach their destination. Shenzi led the group, holding a Heckler and Koch USP pistol with a tactical light attached underneath the barrel, lighting their way through the darkness. Banzai followed close behind, with a radiation sensor. It started to beep frantically and Banzai held up his hand, signaling for them to stop.

It had been a rough but important week for them. For years they yearned for a return to the Pridelands, not for a good life, but to steal back the respect they deserved. Years earlier, their leader 'Scar' had promised them so much, and delivered them so little. He asked for their undivided respect and they gave it him, but got none of it back, even though they were quite high up in his chain of command. He had promised to clean up their hometown of East Side, but instead he just dragged the whole country down so that East Side would just look normal in it. This insulted all most each and every member of the country, including the three of them. Shenzi would never forget the day Scar had betrayed them, and when she found they were all just little pawns in his lust for control. He had used them good.

At first, Shenzi felt pleased that Simba had rid of him, but that feeling was soon washed away. Simba had no hesitation in throwing each and every one of them into maximum-security prison, for war crimes (that they were forced to do) for attempted murder of the prince and for alcohol/drug trafficking. This hurt them even more, as Shenzi had _personally _called off Scar's army once they were betrayed and got them to surrender before NATO and the PRF overran them. She had saved so many lives with this decision, and how did Simba thank her? By convicting them.

During their time in prison, Shenzi had met a man that changed her forever. He was wise, smart and just as angered about Scar and Simba as she was. He had given the three of them a decent education, and turned them from common street mobsters into a smart, deadly and cunning trio. He had also helped them with their escape, which no one ever found out.

Now was their personal payback. They were going to bring the Prideland government and royalty slowly to their knees, and destroy morale. They would rise out the shadow of Simba and finally regain the respect they deserved, respect that had been denied by the country and its citizens for so long. They were like hyenas, deadly, ferocious predators that lived in the shadow of lions and got continuously screwed over by them. Simba had taken their respect and he got credited as a hero, like how lions takes hyena's kills yet they are credited only as scavengers and lions were always depicted in media as the majestic hunters. This was why Shenzi thought she had done well in selecting the silhouette of a hyena as her logo, and naming their organization HYENA (Hitting your exalted naive ass). They had all waited so long for the hyena to rise from the lion's (Royalty and government) shadow and now it was happening. Shenzi's mentor had educated her well, and she had planned her whole operation well. It would take time, and blood would be shed but it would all come through in the end.

"OK, it looks like we're here." Banzai said, studying a map and sewer blue prints.

"Amen." Shenzi exhaled in relief and tapped the metal ceiling with their knuckles.

"Ed, you know what to do." Shenzi said and Ed nodded before pulling out a drill.

Ed slowly but surely unscrewed the metal floorboard and they pulled themselves out of the sewer. They were in the right place all right, a huge concrete wall with barbed wire at the top was behind them, along with tall security towers with searchlights and armed guards in them. They were inside the Prideland Royal Armory.

"Let's move." Shenzi whispered and they slowly crept out of the open and towards the main building.

Searchlights started to sweep in their direction and Shenzi nodded at Banzai. He understood what she meant and opened his laptop. He quickly typed and clicked, when suddenly, all of the Armory lights went out. Shenzi heard the alarmed cries of the guards and staff and slapped Banzai a high five. Banzai had hacked into the Armory and shut off all of its power. The distraction wouldn't last long though, as they would eventually find their way to the fuse box and switch on all the circuit breakers one by one. Shenzi flicked her head in the direction of door and they got to work.

They crept through the armory, making next to no noise and staying clear of guards and soldiers. This was not the time to reveal themselves, but to get the materials required for their grand reveal, which was less than three weeks away now. This had to go smoothly and quietly. After a while of sneaking about the dark corridors, they eventually came to their marked room. The label on the door read: SMALL ARMS CONTAINMENT: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Shenzi smiled and motioned for Banzai to get to work. He plugged his laptop into the blast proof door's security system and started typing frantically again.

Eventually the blast proof door slid open and so did the second door on the other side. _Damn feds have really gone all out on security. _Shenzi thought and examined the several layers of metal doors. They slowly walked into the armory and looked around in amazement. There were countless types of weapons mounted on shelves; assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, pistols and grenade launchers were all there. Banzai looked around in amazement and whistled.

"Impressive...C'mon lets get us some firepower." Shenzi said enthusiastically and opened three large duffel bags.

They scanned through the arsenal until they finally came across the weapons they needed for their future operation: M240s with the new electric firing pin upgrade and ergonomics. Shenzi had previously selected the weapons before they embarked. They were perfect because the new EFP (Electric firing pin) technology was state of the art and was symbolic of Simba's military might, not to mention it was so much more efficient and better for them to use. Once the public saw that the technology wasn't just possessed by the Prideland military, they would start to lose faith in Simba.

"Well, well, well Banzai what have we here?" Shenzi asked and picked up the immense weapon, examining it with a smile.

"I don't know Shenzi...Looks like the new model M240EFP with the new electric system, fires nine hundred RPM (rounds per minute), light and can reduce clouds of people to a pile of mangled flesh in seconds." Banzai responded, partially playing dumb.

"Exactly what I was thinking. Badass of a weapon. Let's load 'em up." Shenzi said and tossed two M240s with around two thousand rounds of 7.62-millimeter bullets into the duffel bags. She then started selecting other small arms that she would consider suitable for their airport task.

Eventually they finished their small arms theft and started back towards the door...But they weren't done yet. Nobody said a word as they rushed towards their next objective: The warhead storage. This room was much more protected. A man with an assault rifle stood out the front of it, on edge due to the darkness the trio had caused. _Great. _Shenzi thought and dropped her duffel bags. She then walked around the corner casually and approached the man. The man raised his rifle and growled at her.

"What do you think you're doing? This is restricted area, I'll have you on report for..." The man started but Shenzi silenced him, by hitting him over the head with her pistol; knocking him out.

_Idiot. _She thought and pulled him up by his hair, she then pulled open his eyelid and held his face in front of the eye recognition security system. The security box beeped and green lights flashed on it, before the huge metal doors slid open for them.

"Ladies and gentlemen...We're in." Shenzi announced and they walked into the huge chamber.

The walls were lined with warheads and missiles, all weapons that would more than likely never get used. Nobody even bothered looking at them, as they walked straight for what they had came for. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed walked straight past the endless rows of explosives until they finally saw what they needed.

Small tubes were lined up inside a huge case, made from bulletproof glass inches thick. The security system was also working for the case as it ran on a back-up generator. But this was no problem for Banzai, who plugged his laptop in and got to work. Soon, the security lasers sweeping the general area of the case flickered off and Banzai smiled. _All too easy. _He had really become good at this hacking stuff. Shenzi smiled at him.

"You're just too good babe." She complimented him.

"Damn right I am." Banzai said back and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Banzai then got back to his computer, as the security system wasn't completely down yet. He still needed to open the glass case.

"If I can just bypass the lock..." He started but Shenzi cut him off; with a gunshot. She blasted the thumb recognition with her pistol and smiled at Banzai.

"Or you could do that." Banzai mumbled sheepishly and the hissing sound came from the glass case.

Air whooshed out from the airtight container and the front hatch to the glass case slowly slid open, revealing a large yellow and black nuclear symbol at the back of the case. Shenzi stuck her hand in and grabbed one of the plutonium tubes, ignoring all the warning labels on the case.

She carefully placed the weapon in a brief case with foam filling and tossed it into a duffel bag. She sighed in relief and flicked her head in the direction of the door. They had everything they needed now and had to get the hell out of the armory before the Pridelanders figured out what was happening and fixed the power. They closed everything they had opened and rushed back towards the sewer hatch that they had come in from. _That went well. _Shenzi thought as they escaped.

_Several hours later_

Lieutenant Conner 'Kopa' Palladino and his new partner Harry 'Haradion' Dion walked onto the scene, through the crowds of forensic police officers examining the classified warhead containment room. Someone had broken into the armory, and shut off the power. He was the PI1 (Prideland Intelligence One) assigned to the incident and was determined to find the culprits. He approached the police sergeant and looked at him solemnly.

"Any leads?" He asked.

"Not as yet." The sergeant admitted and sighed.

"Fuck. Well did they take anything?" He asked in an angry tone.

"Yes. There were a few missing M240s and there was something else..." The officer said.

"And what was that?"

"Well sir...I think it's just best if I show you." The officer said and Kopa followed him over to the nuclear storage.

"Jesus Christ..." He muttered as he saw the terrifying sight in front of him: one of the plutonium tubes had been stolen. There was now a nuke on the loose.

His eyes opened wide in terror and his heart thumped inside his chest. He took a moment to take it all in before making a decision.

"Dion, notify PI1 about what we got going on here. I want the defense department moved to DEFCON One. Tell them to monitor every god damn phone call in the country, and look for any threats or demands. I'll notify the King myself." Kopa said and turned towards the forensic officer.

"As for you...I want you and your team to double your efforts. If you can tell me so much as their shoe size I want to know about it. Clear?" He said and the officer nodded.

Lt. Kopa and Agent Haradion then stormed out of the building. _Damn feds. _The officer thought as he watched them go and got to work. Millions of lives were now in his hands.

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**How was that? Please Review!**


	5. Alerting The King

**This is the fourth chapter, and the one with a little Kopa-Vitani action in it. It will also explain a little of his background and personality. It was a pain in the ass writing this chapter as for some reason; my computer decided to delete this document and chapter 18 of Xenomorphic Park (which i spent days working on) I had to write this chapter twice so let's reward dedication with a few nice reviews eh?**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 4. ALERTING THE KING**

_Day after armory robbery_

Lieutenant Conner 'Kopa' Palladino gunned his car towards the palace. He was cool-headed as usual, but still drove as quickly as he could. He was driving at least ten miles above the speed limit and managed it well. His new Jaguar XFR was perfect for the task, and suited him perfectly. It was a stereotypical 'spy' car and was quite classy, however it he did have to pay quite a lot for it. His job in the Prideland Intelligence paid him well, like it had for the past eleven years. He would never forget the day he was recruited; it was one that would change his life forever. Before that day, he was a bum. He dropped out of high school after his mother found that she could no longer pay the fees, and could hardly afford the rent for their tiny little house.

He never knew his father, and his mother never spoke of him. What a difference a father would have made in his life. After he couldn't go to school, he found himself hanging around the streets of East Side with other bad apples, and got himself into drinking, smoking and small crimes at the age of sixteen. In this time he was given the nickname 'Kopa'. When all hope seemed lost for him, PI1 came along and saw his potential. They paid for his education and he eventually got turned into a ruthless, charismatic, cunning and strong enforcer of the law. When he finished the task he had been given now, he vowed that he would track down his father using every PI1 resource available to him.

After several minutes of furious driving, he finally reached his destination: The palace. He was stopped at the gate and the man in the booth gestured for him to roll down the window. He did so and lowered his sunglasses.

"I need Royal ID sir." The man said firmly.

"Sorry bro I haven't got any. Here...I'm with the PI1. I've got a urgent message for the King and…." He started but the man cut him off.

"I'm sorry but you are not permitted on this site without Royal identification. If you have a matter that needs to be brought up with the King here's his email address." The man said. _Fucking bureaucrats. _Kopa thought and revved the Jag's engine, making the guard flinch.

"This ain't something that gets emailed. You need to let me in otherwise a lot of people are going to die." Kopa said and the man raised his eyebrows in disgust.

"Are you threatening me?" The man asked.

"No you twit...I was saying that..." Kopa started but the man started talking into his radio.

"Dispatch this is gate guard, I have some lunatic who is threatening me and wants to see the King. Suspected terrorist, driving a grey Jaguar." The man in the booth said on the radio and Kopa slapped his hand onto his forehead.

"NO, NO, NO YOU MORON! I meant that lives depend on you letting me in!" Kopa argued furiously but the man had none of it.

Kopa rolled his eyes, then decided he had had enough of that guy and stamped his foot down on the accelerator. The car lurched forwards and smashed through the security gate, sounding alarms everywhere. _Brilliant. _He thought and suddenly several security guards ran up in front of the car, with guns bared.

"Get out of the car with you hands where we can see them. You have five seconds to comply." The lead guard shouted out and Kopa reluctantly stepped out of the car.

"Listen guys...I didn't want any trouble, your asshole of a friend back there was just giving me a rough time so..." He started but two guards suddenly rushed up to him and tackled him to the floor.

They put him in an arm lock, and started searching him. Kopa didn't resist but was very annoyed. Eventually they came across the compact pistol in his jacket.

"He's got a gun!" The young guard exclaimed and held his weapon in the air. Kopa rolled his eyes and spoke with his chin pressed against the bricks.

"Yeah I do... BECAUSE I'M A FUCKING COP YOU IMBECILE!" He snarled from the floor but the guard ignored him.

"Take him down to custody... ASAP!" The lead guard said and Kopa hissed through clenched teeth.

"You're making a big mistake." Kopa hissed and the guard rolled his eyes.

"We get that a lot." He said and grinned evilly at him.

Suddenly a strong, feminine voice broke out behind them.

"What are you guys doing? He's a cop for crying out loud." Vitani said and stormed over to them.

She released Kopa from his handcuff and glared at the lead guard. She then shoved her hand into Kopa's jacket and pulled out his badge.

"Can you read? P-I-1! Is it that hard? If I catch you wrongly arresting someone again I'll get Simba down here myself." She snarled at the guard, showing him Kopa's badge.

"B-but he smashed through the gates...And you...You work for the tourism department, who gave you the right to..." The man started but Vitani silenced him, with a punch in the jaw.

"That's what gives me the right."

She then grabbed Kopa by the arm and led him over to the palace entrance. Kopa wiped the dirt off of his face and looked over his rescuer; she was a reasonably well-built woman that wore a red bandanna tied around her head and aviator sunglasses. Her hair was also a beautiful light brown color, that matched its short length. Kopa actually thought she was quite attractive.

"Hey...Thanks for saving my ass out there." He thanked her but she shook her head.

"Don't mention it. I don't trust you feds but I also hate those guards." She snapped and continued to lead him into the palace, and into the lobby. She sat behind the reception desk and Kopa stood on the other side, unsure of what he was meant to be doing.

"Haven't you got somewhere you're meant to be? Lieutenant Conner Palladino right?" Vitani asked him, annoyed with his presence.

"Oh no, you can call me 'Kopa', hotness." Kopa said and smiled flirtatiously.

Before he knew it, he found himself in another armlock on the reception desk. Vitani held his arm back behind him in an unnatural fashion and lowered her head so she could whisper in his ear.

"Call me 'hotness' again...I'll kill you." She threatened and released her grip on him. Kopa pulled himself off the desk and looked into the vicious gaze in her brilliant blue eyes.

The speed of her attack amazed him; he was an experienced fighter and he didn't even have time to react. _She's a good looker, but feisty. _Kopa thought and cleared his throat. Vitani looked up at him again and raised an eyebrow.

"I need to speak with the King." He told her.

"37th floor, third door in the corridor to your left. And also...try to show a little respect." Vitani said to him calmly and he nodded.

"Thanks a lot." He whispered and shook his head at that last experience. _Women these days..._

He slowly ascended up the elevator and finally came to the floor he needed to be at. The door opened and he charged down the corridor, trying to make up for all the time he lost. He came across the door to Simba's office and dusted himself off. He straightened his tie, dusted off his jacket and fixed his hair. He had never met the country's most respected man before and wanted to look presentable. When he thought he looked good enough, he tapped the door with his knuckles.

"Come in." A voice inside said. Kopa exhaled and opened the door.

There he was in front of him; the man, the legend...the hero. Simba sat up in his office chair and looked up at his guest. Simba looked a lot older than he did in photographs, long streaks of grey hair were visible above his ears and small wrinkled lined his eyes. He studied him silently for a few moments before Kopa finally broke the silence.

"Your majesty...I'm with the PI1 and my name's Lieutenant Conner Palladino." He introduced himself and shook the King's hand.

"King Simba Taylor...but you probably already know that. Anyway, what can I do for you?" Simba asked and looked him in the eyes.

Kopa took a deep breath and told him the entire story. How the armory was robbed, how the plutonium was missing and how there might be a nuke in the hands of renegades. Simba nodded solemnly and sighed; he had been planning the celebrations of the twentieth 'VS' (Victory over Scar) day and this news had just killed his good mood and attitude.

"Well that's not good...But I don't want to bring the defense department to DEFCON One, it would attract far too much media attention. I don't want word of this getting out, tell PI1 to get onto the situation immediately and contact me should there be any breakthroughs. I'm going to trust this task to you...Do you think you can do that for me?" Simba said and looked over Kopa again.

"Yes sir, I'll get on it right away." Kopa said and turned towards the door. _Wow...what a man. I don't like the idea of tracking down the bastards single handedly though._

Kopa walked towards the door but Simba called out after him.

"Hey kid...What did you say your name was?" Simba asked him, something seemed awfully familiar about this guy. He even reminded Simba a little bit about himself, with the way he looked. Reddish-brown hair and a muscular build.

"Conner Palladino sir. But all my friends call me Kopa." Kopa said and looked at his leader, something seemed familiar about him as well.

"Do I know your father or something? You seem familiar..." Simba said, studying him carefully.

"No sir. I never knew my father, he left before I was born."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. Anyway, nice meeting you Kopa." Simba said and returned to his celebration planning. Now he had to add triple security, due to the plutonium on the loose.

As Kopa left, Simba got one last look at him. _Kopa...That's a nice name. Why does he seem so familiar...Ah, he's just a good-looking kid that's all. _Simba thought and shook his head. _This is just a great day...I've already gone over the tops with the parade budget now there's a nuke on the loose...Oh I guess they're professionals, they'll handle it._

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**How was it? Please Review and if you have any questions or ideas don't hesiate to PM me :)**


	6. Hostilities Imminent

**Sorry it took me so long to do this. Last night I had to rewrite the 'Xenomorphic Park' chapter I lost and couldn't update this. WARNING: this chapter is extrememly dark, and I'm glad that somehow I haven't been instructed to change the rating to M. Please review and enjoy the chapter.**

**JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 5. HOSTILITIES IMMINENT**

_2 days before VS day, and Airport massacre._

Kovu sat in his bed, next to Kiara. He would have to sleep well that night, as Simba was taking him up to the roof of the palace to see the sunrise early the next day. Before he went to sleep, he saw his new pills on the side table and picked them up. Dr. Von Gonzo had told him to take one every night, to prevent headaches from stopping him from falling asleep. He popped one in his mouth and swallowed it whole; instantly the minor pain disappeared. _Not bad. _Kovu thought and closed his eyes. Instantly he drifted off to sleep.

_Kovu wakes up on a recliner chair on the palace balcony...The sky is bright red._

_He groggily looks around and sees Zira and Scar, holding hands, looking over the city from the balcony. He gets to his feet and warily approaches them. Zira turns to face him and smiles._

"_Ah, son...you're a awake...and just in time for the view." Zira says and flicks her head in the direction of the city._

"_What view? What's going on?" Kovu asks and looks out from the balcony._

_Prideland city lay in ruins, and smoke billowed from the remains of once brilliant skyscrapers. Fighter jets with red swastikas painted on the side circled over the city, destroying anything that still stood upright, and shooting hundreds upon thousands of innocent people in cold blood. The smoke contrasted against the blood red sky._

"_Beautiful isn't it? I have you to thank...None of it would have been possible without you..." Zira says evilly and her eyes glow a haunting yellow._

"_NO!" Kovu screams and turns around, to run back inside the palace, but something blocks the doorway._

_A pile of bodies...Consisting of Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, Vitani and...Kiara. Blood poured from bullet holes their sides and Kovu looked up, to see a young boy sitting on top of the pile; the same child he had seen in his dream from before...His supposed son. Blood trickled from his mouth and he smiled at Kovu proudly._

Kovu leapt out of bed, screaming his lungs out. Somehow, Kiara didn't wake up and he panted on his bed, sweating and crying. He had had some nasty nightmares before but that one had taken the prize. Suddenly, an eerie voice broke out from nowhere and whispered. The noise seemingly came from all sides and Kovu held his head; as if that were the place the voices were coming from. He couldn't make out what they said, but he could tell they were pure evil. He groaned and covered his ears, but the eerie whispering continued. He opened his eyes and saw blood trickling down the wall, and the image of a Scar painted in it. He looked down to where Kiara was sleeping, and saw that she had a bullet hole in her head. He panted and looked around, frightened out of his wits. He didn't know if he was seeing things or if it was reality._ What the hell's going on? Someone...please...help me!_ He held his head, closed his eyes and cried out in pain. But suddenly, everything stopped; the pain, the pictures, and the voices.

Kovu opened his eyes and looked up; Simba stood in the doorway with his arms folded. He calmly walked over to Kovu with a gentle smile on his face. Kovu tried to warn him but no words came out of his mouth. He looked over at the wall, and strangely, the blood had disappeared, so had Kiara's wound. What was going on in his head? Simba sat down on the bed next to him, with a concerned look on his face. Kovu panted and had no clue as to what had just happened, but whatever it was, he was awake now.

"What's wrong? You look like you've just been through hell." Simba asked.

"Nothing." Kovu lied and panted.

"You sure? I can get Dr. Gonzo or something if you like..." Simba offered but Kovu shook his head.

"No thanks, I'll be okay. Just had a few nasty nightmares that's all." Kovu said, not mentioning that the last one had just been in reality.

"Okay then...Get dressed, we're going to go see the sunrise remember?" Simba said and stood up.

"Oh yeah..." Kovu said and got to his feet. He slowly started to calm down.

He couldn't believe he's slept for that long, as his nightmares only seemed to go for a few minutes. He shook off the terrible memory and got changed. He followed Simba onto the roof and closed the hatch behind him. Simba stood at the roof's edge, looking out on the horizon, past the buildings, roads and trees. Kovu walked up next to him and Simba smiled. He then put a hand on his son-in law's shoulder and looked out onto the horizon again.

"Kovu...This is something my father used to do with me. Look...past the buildings, the roads and the trees. Everything the light touches...is our country." Simba said deeply and Kovu nodded, admiring the beautiful sunrise and view.

"So this is all yours?" Kovu asked.

"Mine...and the government's. We're a constitutional monarchy Kovu; I don't have complete power. Oh...and before you ask that place in the shadow there is East Side. I can tell you a few funny stories about that place." Simba said and smirked.

"Let me guess...You got yourself into trouble there as a child, when it was still a rough neighborhood?" Kovu said and raised an eyebrow. This comment made Simba laugh.

"Exactly. The one place my Dad told me not to go." Simba said though chuckles.

"Where was the logic in that?" Kovu asked, about to laugh as well.

"Just trying to impress the misses Kovu." This comment made Kovu laugh out loud; he sure had liked Nala for a long time.

They stared out at the beautiful sunrise for a few moments; silent and motionless. The sun slowly started to warm the bodies from the cold morning air.

"It's really beautiful. Thanks for taking me out here this morning." Kovu thanked Simba and smiled at him.

"Any time...My son." Simba said warmly and put the hand on his shoulder again.

Kovu smiled back, but the world around him suddenly started to fade out. His smile slowly faded and the whispers started to return to his head. They hissed into his ear: _Do it...do it now. He's next to the edge of the roof...135 meter drop...finish it. _Kovu clutched his head and tried to make the voices stop. His vision went black for second, but then rushed back to him. He was pointing a gun at Simba's head, about to pull the trigger. _No! _He then blinked, and returned to reality, his vision blurred like static on a television screen and then his _real _vision returned.

Simba looked at him with a worried face and studied him. Kovu's hand was back by his side; without a gun in it. Kovu panted and thought: _What the hell is happening to me? _Simba took his hand off his shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" He asked, very worried

"Yeah I'm fine...Just got something in my eye." Kovu lied and looked back out on the horizon again.

"Beautiful city...It's a shame it can all disappear...so quickly." Simba said sadly and Kovu looked at him, now as worried as he was.

"What do you mean?" Kovu asked, Simba cleared his throat and spoke.

"Well...A few days ago, a tube of plutonium went missing from the royal armory. We have reason to believe it was stolen." Simba said solemnly.

"So there's a nuke on the loose?" Kovu asked, wide eyed.

"We doubt it. PI1 identifies it as a possibility, but there haven't been any threats, calls or demands. So there is a chance it was just misplaced by some idiot." Simba said and looked down.

"What are they doing about it?" Kovu asked.

"PI1's got every single unit on full alert. No one knows about it except you, them and me. I don't want news of this getting out to the media, so that's why we're not at DEFCON One. It would just spread panic and fear." Simba said shook his head.

_Fear. _Kovu thought and took all the information in.

"VS (Victory over Scar) day is in two days, so we're all going to be high alert at the parade. I've got triple security there and a few other PI1 units posted elsewhere. By the way, you don't know a guy called Conner 'Kopa' Palladino do you?" Simba asked and turned to him. Kovu shook his head and then remembered.

"Well...I heard Vitani complaining about someone called that at dinner, apparently he tried to flirt with her...So she gave him her usual treatment." Kovu said and flinched at the thought. His sister was never going to get a boyfriend at that rate.

"Ouch." Simba said and thought about it.

"Why do you ask anyway? Who is he?" Kovu asked Simba who seemed to be in deep thought.

"He was the Intelligence officer who brought me the bad news about the nuke. And something seemed awfully weird about him...Almost familiar." Simba mumbled and turned back towards the roof hatch.

"Let's hope that nuke was a hoax or something." Kovu commented and walked with him.

"Let's hope...But I'll tell you this...Hostilities are imminent." Simba warned him.

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**How was that? Not too dark was it? It IS important to the storyline. Please Review!**


	7. PI1 Headquarters

**Once again, sorry for the day delay. I wrote this yesterday but couldn't be screwed uploading it. Please enjoy and don't forget to review**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 6. PI1 HEADQUARTERS**

_One Day before VS day celebrations...And airport massacre. Prideland Intelligence HQ_

Kopa stormed into the Prideland intelligence interrogation room, where the chief of forensic police sat patiently. He sat with his hands folded on his lap and tapped his foot anxiously. When Kopa entered he looked up at him and stared blankly. Kopa frowned and took a seat in front of him.

"So you found nothing?" He asked angrily.

"No sir, not a thing. Whoever your guy is, they're smart, crafty and have people in high places. And we can confirm that the plutonium was stolen, the staff there have seen no sign of it." The officer said and Kopa sighed.

"So it was definitely stolen?"

"Yes sir." The officer confirmed. Kopa shook his head; he didn't want to be the one breaking the news to the King.

"And you said whoever it was had people in high places?" Kopa asked him, trying to get to the bottom of it.

"They would have to. They couldn't have just gotten those security codes from nowhere, someone must have given them to the thief...And that someone needs to be in a high place." The officer said and Kopa leant close to him.

"What sort of people we are talking here?" He whispered.

"Impossible to tell. Could be anyone...Jesus, it could be the Prime Minister for all we know." The officer remarked.

Kopa stood up and made his way to the door; frustrated. He turned around to look at the anxious forensic officer one last time before leaving.

"Thanks for your time officer. You're free to go now." Kopa told him and stormed out of the interrogation room.

He angrily marched his way from interrogation room to the command center. He pressed his thumb against the security pad and the glass door slid open for him. The command center buzzed with activity, and anyone but himself would probably feel intimidated by the advanced technology and professionalism there. Above the doorway, a huge sign was lit up above them on a television screen, it read: DEFCON 2. Just two days ago it had been at DEFCON 5, the Pridelands were enjoying its longest stint of uninterrupted peace for years. That all changed overnight, nuclear material had been stolen and the threat of an attack was imminent. However, there had been no threats, demands, attacks or anything that would give their enemies away; whoever they were they were either really smart, or really stupid. Kopa approached a man seated behind four LCD computer screens, furiously typing. He tapped him on the shoulder and the man swung around on his chair.

"Harry...Anything new?" He asked his new field partner Agent Harry 'Haradion' Dion.

Dion was young, inexperienced but a great shot with a gun and a massive technology geek. He seemed to be a little bit of everything, part brains and part brawn. Kopa admired him for this. However, he wondered why he had chosen a PI1 career path; Dion had achieved top marks in his schooling and instead of choosing a promising, honest career he chose the 'Fed' lifestyle.

"We might just be in luck..." Dion said happily and turned his chair back towards the computers so he could show Kopa what he had come across.

"I found this a few hours ago. They crossed the border last week... Shenzi Marie Goldberg, Banzai Marin, And Edward 'Ed' Cummings." Dion told him and opened a window that showed their profiles on his computer.

"What's their background?" Kopa asked him and Dion opened a new window on another screen.

He clicked on many photographs, including: Prison Dossiers, images of the three with Scar back in 2006, PNCP (Prideland national communist party) Dossiers from back when Scar was in charge, and a list of their offenses back from Mufasa's reign. Kopa examined the photos and scratched his chin.

"African-American heritage, they were all born in the East Side district back when it was still a shithole. They were on the most wanted list back when Mufasa was in charge, for repeated offenses of alcohol and drug trafficking, robbery and attempted murder of Simba. They pretty much ran the organized crime back then, and it was believed that they were involved with the city center bombing back in '06. As soon as Scar had taken control, he had all three of them promoted to be among his highest." Dion reported and Kopa nodded, they might be getting somewhere now.

"What happened to them after that?"

"Well, Shenzi personally called Scar's army to stand down after he was killed, and saved a lot of lives. However, she was still convicted for war crimes that she and Scar were responsible for during his reign was sent to maximum-security prison along with her two companions. Simba's orders personally." Dion said and scrolled through all the known information on Shenzi; which wasn't much.

"So if they are the ones that took the nuke...It would all be about another vengeance quest?" Kopa asked, trying to figure out their intentions.

"No sir. They were just as pissed off about Scar as everyone else was. Apparently he screwed them over and was half the reason they got sent to the slammer. The prison psychologist reported that they expressed very violent attitudes towards Scar, the Communists and the new government." Dion told him, ruling out that possibility.

"So if they don't want to avenge Scar or bring back his old system...What do they want?" Kopa asked him.

"Remember we're not sure they had anything to do with what happened the other day. All we know is that they crossed the border and are possibly back in town. If it was them we have no idea what their intention is." Dion made a point and Kopa sighed.

"In 2019 they broke out of prison, and fled the country. They ended up somewhere in Switzerland where we couldn't negotiate their arrest. They've been history for a while now, but now that they're back and some plutonium went missing doesn't sound like a coincidence to me." Dion continued and Kopa stood up.

"Good work kid. I want you to keep track of any movements by them and if they so much as sneeze I want to know about it." Kopa instructed him and put his coat back on.

"Where are you going?" Dion asked him.

"I'm going to talk with the _boss._" Kopa said, referring to Simba. He had a breakthrough and Simba had instructed him to see him immediately if that were to happen.

Kopa slipped his badge and handgun into his jacket then continued towards the PI1 command center's door. Suddenly an angry voice broke out behind him.

"PALLADINO!" It thundered and Kopa rolled his eyes. He then turned around to see an angry Chief Langdon standing behind him, with hands on his hips and a sinister look his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"What the fuck is this?" Langdon snapped and slammed a collection of photographs into his face angrily. Kopa quickly flicked through them all and found that they had been the security images taken when he decided to smash through the palace gate.

Kopa sighed, there was an image of him his car, an image of him smashing through the security gate and another of him getting tackled down and searched. The Chief looked at him with an angry expression and awaited an answer.

"This? This was just a little misunderstanding." Kopa said sarcastically and continued towards the palace door, throwing the images all over the ground. Langdon then grabbed his arm and twisted him around to face him.

"You've got a real attitude problem you know Lieutenant? If you weren't so damn good I'd have you fired before you could say 'Oh Shit'." Langdon snarled at Kopa. As good as he was, he was a hothead and was sometimes an embarrassment to the agency.

"I know. I'm going to go see the King now so catch you later dear." Kopa snarled back sarcastically and yanked Langdon's hand off him.

"You better behave yourself this time otherwise it's a court martial." Langdon threatened him. Kopa responded with flicking up a middle finger behind his back as he went.

_Hothead. _Langdon thought. Lieutenant Conner Palladino was the only one in the entire agency that didn't respect him; and he had mostly learnt to live with it as that was Kopa's personality; he was great at what he did but hated authority. And because he was such a good agent was the only reason why he hadn't been sacked yet, he was too valuable. Langdon sighed and started assisting his workers in tracking this new 'nuke' threat.

_Soon after_

Simba sat at the dining table; reviewing all the celebration plans for the next day. The VS day (or better known as 'Peace' day) parade preparation was only slightly behind schedule; as he had to sweep the entire area it was in first, looking for threats of terrorism and other things that may relate to the missing nuke. He had told PI1 to do another check once the parade started and he was going to have maximum security there. Suddenly a voice came through on the intercom.

"_Your majesty we have a Prideland Intelligence agent who wishes to speak with you. Name: Lieutenant Conner Palladino. Can we let him up?" _The voice belonged to a security guard, and Simba pressed the button to the intercom.

"Yes I can vouch for him. I'll send someone down to collect him." Simba said and stood up.

He walked over to the living room where Vitani was enjoying a cup of coffee with Nala. This made Simba smile; it was only a few years ago that they had been hell-bent on killing each other, now they were like mother and daughter. If Vitani could make friends with Nala, then she could make friends with this new 'Kopa' kid she had snapped at. Simba didn't like hostilities between his family and his most trusted men.

" 'Tani I got a job for you. There's a PI1 officer downstairs by the name of Conner Palladino, I need you to escort him up." Simba told her and she groaned.

"Why me? You know I don't trust the feds and that guy in..." Vitani complained but Simba held up a hand to silence her.

"You need to learn to get on with people better. You can start with making up with this man you clashed with." Simba said wisely and Vitani rolled her eyes.

She stood up reluctantly and started walking over to the elevator unenthusiastically. Simba called out after her as she went.

"And could you try and refrain from beating up anyone that flirts with you? He's a nice kid and you should try and get on with him. After all, you still haven't found a date for the VS day dance have you?" Simba said after her and she turned around to face him angrily.

"Don't give me tips on my love life. The guy's a hothead and no more than a common cop. You don't think I've had like a thousand guys flirt with me? Why is this guy so different?" Vitani snapped at Simba and turned around, back towards the elevator.

"He's a good looking kid Vitani. Just make up with him at least." Simba said and she rolled her eyes as the elevator door closed.

Sure she did find Lieutenant Kopa Palladino a bit handsome, but other than that she had no reason to like him. She didn't trust his kind and wanted nothing to do with him. She wasn't happy that she had to apologize either, but then realized that it was the right thing to do as holding grudges was something her mother was infamous for. And Vitani didn't want to be anything like her mother.

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**How was that? Don't forget to review!**


	8. VS Day Preparations

**I am sorry for the delay again, but the last few days have been really hectic. This chapter will be mainly centered around Vitani, and will have a few funny moments in it. Please enjoy and don't forget to review**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 7. VS DAY PREPARATIONS**

Vitani angrily stormed out of the elevator and started her way towards the security gates. She didn't want to be there, so why did Simba insist that she apologize? She couldn't see the point. She would still dislike this Intelligence agent no matter what he told her or convinced her. Dozens of hotheads had flirted with her before, so why was Lt. Palladino any different? He was better looking than most of the Outlander boys, but that was about it. She didn't trust his type.

Sure enough, she found Kopa angrily standing in the middle of a group of security guards. He tapped his foot anxiously and looked at his watch. When he turned to see Vitani, a strange expression swept across his face. He raised an eyebrow as she walked over to them.

"I've got it from here boys." Vitani said to the security guards and they motioned for Kopa to go with Vitani.

Kopa didn't dare say a word on their trip to the elevator, and twiddled his thumbs inside his jacket pockets anxiously. He had some bad news for the King, but that was not nearly as nerve racking as being in an elevator with Vitani; the only woman he had met that could easily kill him. Not to mention that he had pissed her off the other day. He couldn't take it anymore and finally let it out.

"Look...I'm sorry about the other day, I didn't mean..." Kopa started but Vitani cut him off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I lost it, I should've had a bit more self control. We're cool now?" Vitani apologized and held up a fist. Kopa smiled and hit it with his.

"I guess so." Kopa said and looked into her eyes, through the sunglasses that she always seemed to wear.

To Vitani's surprise it actually felt good to be on good terms with someone again; even if she didn't trust them. Kopa felt a little better now as well; he didn't have to worry about getting embarrassed by a woman again and this was one less problem for him. He also liked this 'Vitani' a bit, he had never seen so much fight and character in someone before; she was just his type. He looked through her sunglasses silently and admired her eyes; which he thought were beautiful. They were a cool bluish-green, but they burned with the fires of war. He suspected that she used to be a soldier of some sort.

They finally reached the famed 37th floor of the palace and Vitani led Kopa to the dining room, where Simba was waiting for him, with a stack of paperwork. Simba gestured towards the chair opposite him with a stern expression.

"Please, take a seat." Simba said and Kopa complied without hesitation. He felt honored to be in the same building with the man, let alone having a coffee with him.

"You want a mocha or an espresso?" Simba asked.

"Mocha."

"Very well, Nala can you make us two mochas please?" Simba called out and a few minutes later, Nala emerged from the kitchen with two steaming mochas.

"Thank you." Kopa said excitedly and sipped the hot drink.

He couldn't believe where he was, and who he was in the company of; the inspirational King Simba and the legendary Queen Nala. _I wish you were here with me now mom._ Kopa thought, she would be so proud of him. Simba finished his drink and placed the cup down on the table. He then folded his hands in front of him and looked Kopa in the eye with a solemn, yet friendly expression.

"So what have you got for me?" Simba asked and gestured for Vitani to leave the room; this was information even she wasn't cleared for.

She nodded and walked into the kitchen with Nala, as she went, she turned around to look at Kopa one last time, who saw her looking back and gave her a friendly wink. She managed a little smile and walked away. _He's cute; I'll give him that. But he's a fed, a spy, not a good man. _

Kopa proceeded to tell Simba all of his findings. He told him about how he had confirmed that the plutonium _was _stolen, and how that coincidently three old criminals had crossed the border after years overseas. Simba nodded grimly when he heard this, as if he knew the names from somewhere.

"We're still not sure they had anything to do with the nuke theft, but their arrival and the plutonium going missing seems like more than a coincidence." Kopa told him and Simba nodded.

"Yes...so it seems. Are you monitoring them?" Simba asked.

"Yeah we are. I doubt it'll be necessary though, they aren't very clever and don't have many resources. So supposing they did want to initiate a terrorist attack we could easily stop them." Kopa said confidently.

"Supposing they did want to initiate a terrorist attack...What other targets are there other than the VS day parade tomorrow? I don't want all of our attention and security on that one spot, as it opens up weaknesses." Simba said wisely and Kopa thought.

"Well we are searching all over the city for the nuke, and we are going to have agents stationed all over the city. We'll have guys at the City Center, Priderock national park, the palace, oh...and my partner and myself will be stationed at the airport later on in the night. Before then we are going be providing personal security for you." Kopa reported and Simba nodded his approval.

"Say...Just after the parade I'm holding a dance in the palace. Would you and your partner be interested in coming? You'll have to be watching us anyway so you may as well join in." Simba offered with a smile.

"Well sir I'm not sure if I'm permitted to..."

"Nonsense. I'll arrange to get you on the list. You got an date you want to take?" Simba asked and Kopa shook his head.

"No sir."

_Meanwhile in the kitchen_

Nala had been listening in to the last part of their conversation and an idea swept into her head when she heard Kopa say that she didn't have a date for the dance. Vitani was leaning up against counter and cleaning her sunglasses. Nala nudged her and whispered.

"Hey 'Tani...I just heard that Lieutenant Palladino is coming to the dance and doesn't have a date." She said softly and Vitani rolled her eyes.

"Okay then, you ask him out." She said sarcastically and Nala sighed.

"Oh come off it Vitani, I saw the way you were looking at him before." She hissed and Vitani put her hands on her hips.

"So? He's good looking that's all." She whispered and Nala raised and eyebrow.

"Look, I can see that he's a good man and you need to learn to trust people. Get his number, it's about time you stop living solitary. You might find you actually enjoy a man's company."

"Easy for you to say, you're married." Vitani said and Nala sighed.

"I'm not going to force you to do anything, but I've seen that you've taken a bit of a liking to him and what you do about it is up to you." Nala said and smiled gently, before returning to washing the coffee cups.

Vitani sighed and watched Kopa get up out of his seat and shake hands with Simba one final time, before saying goodbye and heading towards the door. So if Simba and everyone else could trust him, why couldn't she? She felt like hitting herself at how stupid she was being.

"Wait up!" She called out and rushed up to Kopa, who had turned around at the sound of her voice.

She handed him a clipboard with a document on it and a pencil. Kopa raised an eyebrow and looked the document over; it was an application.

"Just put your name, date of birth, position and phone number." She instructed him and he started filling out the application.

"What's this for?" He asked as he wrote.

"I'm getting you royal I.D so you don't always have to clash with security to get in...And the phone number's for me." She said and winked at him flirtatiously.

Kopa smiled back at her gently and she started to walk back down the corridor with his details, and phone number. _So you got a date for the dance now. _Kopa thought and punched the air happily.

Meanwhile Vitani entered the dining room to see Simba and Nala sitting together chuckling. Simba finally looked up at her and spoke through laughs.

"'Bout time!" He said through giggles and Vitani went bright red.

"You guys remind me of us...Did I ever tell you the story of how I beat the shit out of Simba when we first met? Well met again that is..." Nala said through laughs and sat down.

Vitani felt like hitting both of them really hard but she managed to restrain herself; she had actually learnt quite a bit from Kiara. She stormed past them and growled at Simba.

"Nala ain't going to be the only one that beats the shit out of you." She threatened.

This only made Simba laugh more; and helped relieve the stress of having a possible nuclear bomb on the loose.

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**How was it? Please Review!**


	9. VS Day Parade

**This is chapter eight, and is based of British/American post WW2 celebrations. Next chapter will be the romantic one and the one after will be the airport massacre and a little bit of its background. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review, as I haven't gotten many recently.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 8. VS DAY**

_Same day as airport massacre, 1030 hours_

The big day had finally arrived, and thousands of people had gathered in the heart of the city. Lt. Conner 'Kopa' Palladino had hardly slept that night, so many lives depended on him and things had to run perfectly. He stood on a huge stage; behind Simba and Nala; who were both dressed in the ceremonial King and Queen's uniform. He bit his lip anxiously and tapped his foot. He was expecting a radio call any second now from Agent Haradion, who was initiating the search for the nuke while the VS Day parade continued. VS (Victory Over Scar) Day was the perfect opportunity for any terrorists loyal to Scar to strike. So far, they didn't seem to be taking it.

Kopa looked up on top of the buildings, where he could vaguely see police officers watching the parade through the scopes of sniper rifles. Simba and himself had really gone all out with security. The threat of an attack was greater than ever; but the people didn't know that. They stood packed on either side of the wide street, cheering and waving Prideland national flags as veterans from the battle against Scar paraded down the road, waving and smiling for the cameras as blue, green and white confetti rained down on top of them. They wore full ceremonial uniforms, and marched past everyone. When they passed the stage Simba was on however, they flicked their heads around in his direction and saluted. Simba returned the gesture.

Meanwhile, Kovu and Kiara also stood on the Royal stage; waving at the cameras and doing what they were expected to. Kovu couldn't believe his surroundings; only a few years ago the prospect of peace seemed impossible and now everyone was celebrating it all around him. He whistled along as the _Prideland Marine Corps _march blared on the speakers and smiled as he saw the troops march past and salute him. For the first time in days, he had managed to get a decent sleep that night and it had done him well. He felt great and like a good man again. He kissed Kiara on the cheek and the crowd went wild; like he expected.

All of a sudden, the happiness faded into something else; pain. The world blurred around him and the chants of the crowd faded into distant ambient voices. He gasped and a splitting headache took over him, he held his head in pain and bent over. _No...not now...please. _Kovu thought and shoved his hand into his pocket to reveal his bag of pills. He popped one into his mouth and waited for a few seconds. Eventually, the pain disappeared and he stood upright.

"Are you okay?" Kiara asked loudly over the noise of the overjoyed crowd.

"Yeah I'm fine." Kovu said and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He then refocused on the crowd and started waving again.

He looked at Simba, standing with his back turned at the edge of the stage, waving and saluting with Nala. Kovu's vision then blurred again; and was replaced with what looked like television static. When his vision returned to him; he was staring down the sights of a pistol aimed at Simba's turned head. _No! _He thought and grabbed his head with his empty hand. This triggered more visual static. When he opened his eyes, his arm was back against his side and Kiara was looking at him, worried.

Kovu panted desperately and didn't say a word to her. He strode off the stage and stood at the edge of the stairs. He shot one last glance at Simba and then the evil voices started. _Kill them...both of them...for the whole country to see...finish what you've started. _The British accented voice hissed like a snake into his ears. No one could hear the voices but him. Kovu held his head again and started to see blood tricking down the stage curtains; it was happening again.

He shut his eyes but this only triggered the voices and he started to feel weaker and weaker. He shut his eyes again one final time before blacking out. The last thing he felt before passing out was a falling sensation; then a cold hard _THUD _against a wooden surface.

_Back on stage_

Kopa felt his radio buzz in his pocket and he picked it up anxiously; awaiting a status report.

"_Kopa this Haradion, we've checked every single square centimeter in this city and we haven't found a thing. Nuke threat is a negative, and the assailant threat is a negative, over." _Agent Haradion reported over the radio. Kopa sighed in relief and Simba turned around to face him, with a concerned expression. Kopa just gave him a thumbs up; indicating it was definitely safe now.

Simba smiled and walked over to a microphone behind a small stand. He tapped the microphone and instantly everyone went silent. He cleared his throat and then spoke to the massive audience in front of him.

"Good morning to all you ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the twentieth VS Day." He said and the crowd burst into cheers. Simba put his hand up to silence them.

"Twenty years ago on this day, many brave men and women fought...and died to make this country what it is today. They stood up to the terror of Scar and showed us their courage and passion. I would like to start us off with a minute's silence to acknowledge the people that died on that day." Simba said everyone hushed. A royal marine carrying a bugle then took his place behind the microphone and started playing _The Last Post. _

After a minute, Simba then cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone again.

"I would also like to acknowledge the war heroes still among us. Can all of those people identify themselves please?" He said and the rows of veterans cheered.

"We also know that there are some heroes among us that are still not recognized for their bravery, and now is the time to recognize them. I have four Prideland Medals of Honor to award today; all for Delta-Four members that fought three years ago and eliminated yet another threat to our wonderful country in the Outlander Insurgency. Can those people please come up?" Simba preached and immediately four people appeared on stage: Captain Eugene 'EJ' Jones, Private Tim 'Swifty' Swaford, Corporal Colette Lorenzo and Corporal David Howitzer.

"Captain EJ Jones, awarded a medal of honor for repeated bravery in the field, and putting his life on the line to save others, lost use of right eye in combat." Simba announced and everyone clapped as Simba slipped the medal over EJ's neck.

"Private Tim 'Swifty' Swaford, awarded a medal of honor for repeated valor and persistence. Lost use of his legs in combat." Simba said and Swifty wheeled over to him in his wheelchair.

"Corporal Colette Lorenzo, awarded a medal of honor for skillfully and bravely rescuing several members of Delta-Four in her aircraft, including my wife and your queen." Simba said and slipped the medal around her neck.

As Lorenzo was awarded her medal in front of crowd, Lt. Kopa and Agent Haradion (who had now arrived at the ceremony) watched on. Haradion bit his lip as he looked Lorenzo over. _Wow, she's a looker. _He thought and nudged Kopa.

"Hey, who's the hot pilot chick?" He asked in his usual casual tone and Kopa whispered to him.

"That 'pilot chick' is one of the most respected people in the entire armed forces and apparently the daughter of Matthew Weaver so don't even think about..." Kopa started but Haradion cut him off.

"Oh I'm thinking about it." Haradion remarked and looker her over again.

Kopa rolled his eyes, but then felt his radio buzz in his pocket again.

"This is Kopa."

"_Lieutenant Palladino, come quick...It's Kovu...he's hurt badly." _Dr. Von Gonzo's distinctive German voice said over the radio.

Kopa looked around and realized that Kovu was nowhere to be seen. He remained cool and ran off the stage as calmly as he could. He didn't want the massive crowd to see the panic he felt growing inside him. Everything had been going well until then.

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**How was that? And don't worry, Kovu's fine, you'll find what happened next chapter. Please Review!**


	10. Knocked Out

**I've had to delay the dance scene until next chapter. That will be where all the story's romance comes from. Until then, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 9. KNOCKED OUT**

_Prideland City Hospital, 6 hours before airport massacre._

The voices of Scar and Zira rang in Kovu's ears and he saw nothing but blackness. He squirmed on the bed and tried to open his eyes, but they hurt whenever he did so. _What's happening to me? _He finally managed to force his eyes open, and the world around him was blurred. He was in a white room and several faces were looking at him; but he couldn't see who they were. Eventually the world came into focus.

Simba, Kiara, Nala, Dr. Gonzo and those two new Intelligence officers were all looking at him with concerned expressions. _What the? _He groaned and tried to sit up, but a massive pain his head and back stopped him.

"That is not a good idea." Dr. Gonzo said and gently pushed him back against the pillow. It was only then he realized he was in a hospital.

"What the hell happened?" Kovu asked in a n exhausted voice and everyone shrugged.

"We were hoping you could tell us that. Dr. Gonzo found you at the bottom of the stage staircase out cold and with a gash on your head." Simba said.

"Huh?"

"There is a good chance he actually saved your life. You were bleeding quite badly and he managed to stop it and stitch the wound up before the ambulance came." Simba told him and put a hand on Gonzo's shoulder.

"Right...thanks." Kovu said wearily and shook the Doctor's hand.

"So what actually happened?" Kiara asked, desperate to know what had happened to her husband.

"I don't know. Everything went black and I fell down the stairs I guess." Kovu said, making sure that he didn't bring up the topic of the voices or visions.

He then forced himself to sit up; which startled everyone. He swung his legs over the bed and sighed again, rubbing his extremely sore head. His head was bandaged now, and a thick white strip was tied around it like a headband.

"Are you okay for the dance later?" Kiara asked him, she had looked forward to this event for quite a while now.

"Yeah, I should be fine." Kovu said and started towards the door to the room, with a hand on his head.

Everyone silently followed him out of the door. Kovu stopped outside the room to pull out one of his pills; his head hurt like hell from the fall and that was his solution. He popped it into his mouth and swallowed; almost instantly the pain vanished and he exhaled in relief. _Good for anything these are. _He thought and watched his family, the PI1 officers and Dr. Von Gonzo start to leave the ward. He put a hand on Gonzo's shoulder as he walked and stopped him.

"Hey...Thanks, for saving my life." Kovu said and smiled gently at him. Gonzo returned the smile and nodded.

"Yes...You are welcome, I do what I think is best. Anyway...How are those pills working out for you?" Gonzo asked.

"Great actually. They work like a dream. Take the edge off of pretty much anything..." Kovu admitted and nodded, he had actually been very impressed by the effectiveness of the pills.

"Well that is good to hear. If you need any more help don't hesitate to see me." Gonzo offered and winked at him.

Kovu sighed and looked down at the ground. This new doctor was a more than capable replacement for the retired Rafiki; he had just saved his life and had given him the most powerful medication available. Not only that, but he seemed like a good man and was very well mannered. Kovu didn't know why he had ever doubted him in the first place. The four fingers on the right hand had been a little creepy, but other than that there was no reason not to trust him. Kovu rubbed his bloodied head and started walking down the corridor with everyone else; he now had a dance to go prepare for.

_2 hours later, Lt. Kopa Palladino's apartment._

Kopa stood behind the mirror in his bathroom with a towel around his waste and was furiously dabbing his most expensive aftershave on his face. He had been invited to a Royal event and he wanted to be as presentable as possible for it. Not only that, but he wanted to impress Vitani; the girl he had asked out and from the looks of it she looked quite difficult to impress. He then carefully combed his reddish-brown hair back and looked over himself one final time.

"One sexy son of a bitch." He thought aloud, admiring his work. Laughter then broke out behind him.

His field partner and best friend Harry 'Haradion' Dion stood in the bathroom doorway, laughing his head off. He was already wearing his tuxedo and leant against the doorframe. He then burst into another fit of laughter and Kopa went bright red.

"Oh sir...You crack me up. You finally got yourself a girl? Sure as hell looks like it." Haradion chuckled and composed himself.

"At least I can get a girl." Kopa snapped and pushed his way past him.

"Actually sir, you'll be pleased to know I did get a date for the dance." Haradion reported and straightened his tie in the mirror.

"Who was that? Your mother?" Kopa joked sarcastically and started to put his suit on.

"No. I personally asked out Corporal Colette Lorenzo, Osprey pilot, Medal Of Honor recipient and the daughter of Sergeant Matthew Weaver." Haradion announced proudly and grinned at him. Kopa's jaw dropped.

"How the hell did you manage that?" He asked, impressed with his young partner's way with women.

Haradion didn't reply to the comment and straightened his expensive jacket. Kopa put his tuxedo on and slipped his compact Glock 26 pistol into his jacket. He may have been invited to the dance as a guest; but he was still meant to be on high alert. He then tied his bow tie around his neck and tightened it. He looked into the mirror and what he saw made him smile; he was the splitting image of a stereotypical spy.

"You ready to roll?" He asked Haradion with a wicked smile.

"Oh yeah." He replied and they both put on a pair of sunglasses in unison

As if on cue, they heard the riff from _Bad To The Bone _blast away from down the hall. Kopa smiled and led them out the door.

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**How was that? I tried to add a bit of humor in there. Don't forget to review!**


	11. The Dance

**So this is my romantic chapter, well at least one of them. Please enjoy and don't forget to review**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 10. THE DANCE**

Kopa and Haradion stood outside the royal ballroom at the front of a massive line. A guard in a royal uniform looked for their names on the list of guests at a painfully slow pace; and it was starting to annoy Kopa. He needed to be on the security team there, and hopefully have a good first date with Vitani. But that seemed far-fetched at this rate. Two hours from then; he was expected to be on watch at the airport.

"I'm sorry but you are not on the list. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The stuck up guard said in a posh and proper voice.

"Hey buddy the King invited us, so we don't need to be on any bucket list of yours." Kopa snapped rudely.

"If you do not leave I'm going to have to call security." The guard said calmly and glared at him.

"We are the security pal...Here...Can you read? P-I-1." Kopa growled and showed him his badge that he had hidden in his tuxedo pocket.

The man just turned up his chin rudely and reached for his walkie-talkie. Kopa sighed and put his head in his hands. Why did these royal assholes have to be such snobs? Simba wasn't a snob, so what gives them the right? Suddenly a hand came out from nowhere and grabbed the man's arm; the one about to call security.

"Whoever you are, let go of me at once or I shall... " The man started but then turned around to see the man that had stopped him; Simba.

"Or you shall what?" Simba asked threateningly.

"Oh...I'm sorry sir...I didn't know..." The snob stammered and Simba frowned.

"Save it. These two gentlemen are with me and if they say I've invited them then you let them in, is that clear? And enjoy your last night on the job at the palace because tomorrow you'll be working at McDonalds." Simba growled at the man; it was idiots like him that he needed to get out of his presence.

The man bit his lip and slumped back down behind his desk. Simba then nudged his two guests and motioned for them to go with him. _Damn straight. _Kopa thought angrily and checked the time on his Omega watch; he only had ninety minutes left to enjoy himself, courtesy of that guard.

"Sorry about that." Simba said and led them to his table.

In the background soft music played; and the ballroom was dimly lit. A band played up on stage in front of several tables of people. Kopa looked around and admired the place, even like this he felt underdressed. This was a royal event. When they got to their table. Simba then introduced them to his family. _Oh wow...Three days ago I was an ordinary PI1 fool, now I put James Bond to shame. _Kopa thought and shook hands with the royal family and its friends and doctor.

"This is my wife Nala, that is my daughter Kiara, my son-in law Kovu, my Doctor Hans Von Gonzo, Timon and that is Pumbaa." Simba introduced all of them.

Kopa couldn't believe how great Nala looked, she was almost fifty and still looked like the twenty-one year old version he had seen in the history books. She hadn't aged a bit, unlike her husband who was visibly older. Kiara was just like how he'd always seen her on the TV and magazines, but heavily pregnant. That 'Kovu' guy however, gave him the creeps. He looked like a young version of Scar. Dr. Von Gonzo didn't seem to have anything interesting about him and those Timon and Pumbaa guys...well...Kopa thought they looked like clowns. When it came to Simba however, Kopa felt strange. He didn't know whether it was just the thrill of being around one of the world's most famous heroes, or if he seemed..._familiar._

Kopa took his seat at the table and slowly sipped a glass of champagne. Then something caught his eye, a woman in a bright blue dress entered the ballroom, and Kopa's jaw dropped. It was Vitani and boy did she look good. She had let her hair down first of all, and she wasn't wearing her usual sunglasses and headband. _Oh wow... _This new look revealed a natural beauty to Kopa that he hadn't seen in her before. Before, she was just a relatively attractive girl with a fighting spirit that appealed to him. Now this showed the other side of her, the _gentle _side that no one would ever had seen in her before. Kopa felt his jaw drop when he saw her. He thought she looked beautiful but was too frightened to tell her.

Simba sarcastically whistled his approval and she gave him a friendly punch on the arm. This made everyone laugh except for Kopa who was still admiring his date. Vitani saw him looking at her and blushed a little, trying to ignore him. She was still a little embarrassed to be there. As dinner was served to them, they didn't say a word to each other.

After the luxurious dinner was finished, the music started up again. The band played a medium paced Jazz piece and everyone danced along. Kopa danced by himself initially, not quite sure what to do and watched Haradion, who seemed to be having the time of his life. _They call me a hothead._

After a while, he got tired and sat back down at the table with Haradion. They just enjoyed the peaceful music from a distance and hummed in tune with it. Kopa sighed and then saw someone walk up on stage; just as the song came to a finish.

He whispered something into the singer's ear and he nodded. Simba then hurried off the stage happily. Simba then skipped across the dance-floor and approached them at the table.

"What was that about?" Kopa asked Haradion.

"I might have put in a request." Haradion said and grinned at him.

Simba walked past them and took Nala by the hand, who was also at the table. He smiled at her softly and she ran a hand down his face. He then linked arms with her and started towards the dance floor. But just as he was going, he turned around to speak to the two of them.

"This next one's a family favorite...Mine and Nala's wedding song in fact. Why don't you grab your partners and enjoy yourselves eh?" Simba suggested and winked at them.

Kopa raised and eyebrow and watched them proceed to the dance-floor. He then looked up at the band that had started playing _Can You Feel The Love Tonight _by Elton John. Kopa hummed in tune with it, but wasn't sure if he should ask Vitani to dance with him or not. He looked out at Simba and Nala, who waltzed on the dance-floor with their eyes locked on each other. He bit his lip and was about to tap Haradion on the shoulder, but he had disappeared. He looked up and saw his assistant at the Delta-Four veteran's table.

"Corporal Lorenzo...Would you give me the honor of dancing with you?" Haradion asked Lorenzo with a smile.

"Well why not?" She confirmed and smiled back at him warmly. They linked arms and started their way to the dance-floor. As Haradion walked, he turned around to wink at Kopa, who was awestruck.

_Okay I'm not being the loner. _Kopa thought and marched his way over to Vitani, who sat by herself at the table. He cleared his throat and spoke confidently.

"Would you like to..."

"Dance? I guess so..." Vitani interrupted him. It was almost like she could read him like a book, and knew what he was going to say before he said it. Kopa nervously took her by the arm and walked over to the dance-floor with her.

He put one hand on her waist and held her hand with the other, and started to awkwardly waltz to the romantic music playing in the background. Kopa looked around to check on Haradion, who was now locking lips with Lorenzo. _Gee that was quick. _He thought and refocused on dancing with Vitani.

"_There's a calm surrender... to the rush of day._

_When the heat of the rolling world can be turned away._

_An enchanted moment, and it sees me through..._

_It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you..._

_And can you feel the love tonight?_

_It is where we are..._

_It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer..._

_That we got this far..."_

Kopa felt a gravity growing between him and Vitani as they danced and he looked deep into her eyes; brilliant blue, cool and gentle...but somewhere in there the fires for war burnt and fueled her wonderful yet deadly personality. He could almost feel those eyes cutting through him like a giant blue blade. Slowly but surely, the world around him started to fade out and Vitani became the center of his universe. The same happened for Vitani; the more she looked the more she saw through the macho/hothead agent that Kopa presented himself as and saw his true colors; a good man within. A man that liked and appreciated her a lot, despite what had happened between them.

_There's a time for everyone... if they only learn..._

_That the twisting kaleidoscope, moves us all in turn._

_There's a rhyme and reason... to the wild outdoors_

_When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours..._

_And can you feel the love tonight?_

_How it's laid to rest..._

_It's enough to make kings and vagabonds,_

_Believe the very best._

As the song came to a close, Kopa leant forward and closed his eyes. Vitani did the same, their lips only a matter of millimeters away from each other now. But then Vitani paused, and pulled back a little; embarrassed. She looked away and then back at him with a sorrowful gaze.

"I'm sorry...I just..." She mumbled and Kopa nodded.

"It's okay." He said and those were all words he could manage.

She then walked away from him, back towards her table. Kopa sighed sadly and looked at Haradion and Lorenzo again; who had turned to applaud the band on their last performance. Kopa pondered the events of the last song and shook his head. _So close. _He then checked his watch; and it was almost time for their next assignment at the airport. _Oh shit...We better get going._

He marched over to Haradion and grabbed him by the arm just as Lorenzo kissed him on the cheek.

"C'mon Romeo we need to get going now." He said and Haradion said goodbye to Lorenzo one last time.

They marched out of the palace and Kopa thought as he walked. Was Vitani the one for him? He had never truly someone before and wasn't sure if now was the time for him to start to. He needed to shake off these thoughts now, as he was about to enter a potentially dangerous situation in the airport security.

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**How was it? You can probably guess what happens next chapter. Don't forget to review!**


	12. Too Little Too Late

**Sorry about the day delay; but this chapter required a bit of planning and thought. It ties in with the prologue and you will notice that the massacre is one of the most important scenes in the entire story. This chapter explains its background and everything will start to make sense. Note: no copyright infringement with the Call Of Duty franchise was intended**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 11. TOO LITTLE TOO LATE**

_In the car, on the way to the airport._

Agent 'Haradion' Dion whistled the tune of _Can You Feel The Love Tonigh_t and it started to annoy Kopa. He had been so close to the perfect first date with Vitani, but it didn't quite come through. He just couldn't get her, and that song out of his head. Those eyes...he had never seen anything like them. And that music only enhanced his feelings for her as they danced. Haradion had the time of his life however, and Kopa could just imagine him daydreaming about Lorenzo. He really didn't know how the kid had managed her, but didn't bother himself thinking about it. It was mission time now and he couldn't let these sorts of things distract him.

"Will you cut that out?" He snapped at the whistling Dion.

"Someone ain't happy...hehehe. I think I know why." Dion chuckled and this comment was met with a solid punch in the stomach.

"Okay, okay...I'll shut up." Dion hissed and Kopa refocused on the road.

They were almost at the airport now, and needed to get changed out of their tuxedos. Kopa thought it was an almost pointless mission, all they had to do was look for any signs of trouble for two long, boring hours. And trouble at the airport was unlikely, as if there were any terrorists or insurgents they would probably target a location at a landmark or city location. But due to the VS Day celebrations, the airport was packed and still a minor threat that they needed to watch out for. And they were to be undercover, which be very good if there actually was an attack; no one would trust them. The PI1 was still tracking these 'Shenzi, Banzai and Ed' characters, but they hadn't been sighted since their border crossing.

"Okay, we're here. Grab the bags." Kopa said and opened the door to his Jaguar; they were in the Prideland International Airport parking lot now.

Haradion opened the door and carried a large grey duffel bag with him. It contained their disguises; Airport Worker's clothes that consisted of dirty jeans, hardhats, high visibility vests and a concealed shoulder holster (just in case). They made their way to the security guards bathrooms and got changed into their disguises. As Kopa walked, he struggled to get Vitani out of his thoughts; lives were in his hands now and he had to be focused and emotionless; which he was normally great at doing.

The workers clothes barely fit him and he struggled to fit his pistol into the vest without it sticking out conspicuously. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and sighed. _Here goes nothing. _He led Agent Dion out of the room and started patrolling the packed terminal on the floor above. Crowds of people were there, waiting for their flights that would take them home. Kopa wondered why they even had to be there, as it was only the two of them and they had half of the PI1 force at the palace. It almost made no difference, and why couldn't someone else do it?

_Earlier_

Shenzi guided the black van through the traffic casually. It was a big day for her organization, and she was completely calm about it. What she was about to do didn't bother her or her two companions in the least. Banzai sat in the front seat, with his eyes on the road and he didn't say a word on their long trip to the airport. Ed sat in the back of the van, watching _Mr. Bean _on a portable DVD player. All of a sudden, he burst into laughter and broke the serious mood in the van. Shenzi rolled her eyes and turned to Ed.

"Shut up Ed." She snapped and then continued to drive. But Ed didn't hear, as he had the headphones on and was completely focused on his film. He burst into another uncontrollable fit of laughter as a funny scene came on.

Shenzi then slammed on the breaks, and Banzai reached back and grabbed the DVD player away from Ed before turning to Shenzi.

"Next time, no last minute stops to the video store." He growled at her and put the DVD player away. They needed Ed to be focused if they were to pull off their task, and giving him a Rowan Atkinson film wasn't going to encourage him.

Shenzi guided the van into the parking lot and searched for spaces; which were hard to come by. Due to VS Day, the place was packed and she wondered why they had to do this today. But her mentor advised her that VS Day would be the best time to strike, as the morale effect would be huge. She finally found an unoccupied space...Right next to a grey Jaguar XFR. She put the parking break on and turned around to face her companions.

"Let's go..." She murmured and slid open the huge door on the side of the van. Banzai and Ed carried one huge duffel bag each; they were filled with their stolen weapons (excluding the plutonium).

They marched down to the maintenance level and looked for the security guard's toilets. As they approached the toilets; Shenzi noticed two workers exit it. One was well built and had reddish-brown hair, and the other looked a lot younger and lankier. She held up her fist, signaling for them to stop. The two strange workers walked away; and one whistled the tune of _Can You Feel The Love Tonight. _Once she was sure that they had gone, she nodded and gestured for her team to get going again. She noticed that the workers had bulges in their vests. _Weird. _Shenzi thought.

The toilets had security cameras in them; and that was a problem Banzai knew how to deal with. He got onto his laptop and hacked the airport mainframe, before shutting down the cameras. He also pressed 'initiate' on a virus that would take out the radio communications when necessary. There would be no calling for help.

They entered the toilet cubicles and got changed into their new clothes; suits with bulletproof vests over the top. Banzai also crossed two long ammunition belts over his shoulders.

_Meanwhile, upstairs in the terminal_

Kopa and Haradion had gotten bored of aimlessly patrolling the terminal and sat in the airport security office. Haradion continued to whistle his tune and Kopa took the time to enjoy a cigar; ignoring the NO SMOKING sign on the wall. Then a voice broke out from the office.

"That's odd..." The guard said and Kopa walked over to him behind his desk.

"What?"

"The guards bathroom's cameras have shut down...Would you mind taking a look, just in case?" The guard asked Kopa.

"Sure." He said. Finally he had something to do now.

He led Haradion downstairs as he whistled the tune and flicked the safety switch on his pistol off; it probably wasn't necessary but it gave him a thrilling feeling that he hadn't felt since the dance. The door to the bathroom was in their sights now and they closed in. Kopa had one hand on the bulge in his jacket, just in case.

_In the bathrooms_

Shenzi slung her massive M240 machine gun over her shoulder and prepared to exit the bathroom; everyone was ready and armed now. But a noise from outside made her hesitate. She heard footsteps and a _whistling _sound. Whoever it was whistled to the tune of _Can You Feel The Love Tonight _the noise was getting closer and closer.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed paused a little, and on the other side of the door; Kopa and Haradion did the same. The rustling coming from inside the bathroom had stopped when they neared the door; which was unusual. Kopa felt s sudden alarming feeling sweep over him as he heard guns being cocked and footsteps nearing the door. He looked at Haradion with wide-open eyes and mouthed the word _hide. _Just as the doorknob twisted, Kopa and Haradion rushed away and hid.

Shenzi burst out the door, flicking her M240 in multiple directions; looking for the threat but she couldn't find it. _Man my mind is playing tricks on me, fuck...its probably just that stupid 'mission tension' Heckler told me about. _Shenzi thought and lowered her machine gun. She then gestured for Banzai and Ed to come out.

They made their way towards the elevator, a little alarmed but still focused on completing the vicious task ahead of them. Meanwhile, Kopa and Haradion watched on from underneath an aircraft service vehicle. When Kopa was sure the three were far enough away, he nudged Haradion and they crawled out from underneath the car. Kopa was shocked. He could now confirm that these three ex-criminals were definitely their guys now, as they carried the M240 machine guns that were stolen from the armory not too long ago. _So it was the bastards..._Kopa's shock then turned into fear; not for him but for the mass of civilians that were on the terminal above them. He knew exactly what the three were going to do.

He watched on as Banzai hacked into an elevator and it descended towards them. Haradion pulled off his glasses in shock and looked at his older, more experienced partner.

"Jesus Christ...Did we just see all that?" He breathed heavily in fear.

"Yeah we did. Just keep it together kid, we have got to alert..._everyone."_ Kopa whispered to him and pulled out his walkie-talkie, before punching in the PI1 command's frequency.

"Dispatch this is Uniform Six-Two. Listen...We have a suspected terrorist attack on the Airport...We need the whole goddamn cavalry here RIGHT NOW! Otherwise a lot of people will die. Do you read me? Over." Kopa said into the microphone, alarmed.

He felt his stomach drop when all he heard in response was static. _Son of a bitch...They cut the airport's communications. _In all his years in the PI1, he had never come across anything like this. Thousands of lives now rested in his hands; they were on their own. How could they have let their guard down like that? They would never had suspected that any terrorists would target the airport over the palace or parade, and every single PI1 agent was in one of those two places.

"Come on, we're going to have to try to stop them ourselves." Kopa said and broke into a sprint towards the staircase; there was a very small chance that they could outrun the elevator but they would have to try.

Adrenaline pumped through both Kopa and Haradion's veins as they tirelessly sprinted up the stairs. _Please God let us make it..._Kopa prayed but it was too little too late. As they were about halfway up the huge stairwell, the chilling screams of hundreds of people broke out; followed by the _RATATATATATATATATATATATATATA NG! _of the M240 machine guns at work. Kopa held back tears as he ran and hoped that somehow he could try to avert any more lives being taken. But he couldn't.

When they finally reached the terminal, Kopa saw sights that made him feel sick, but he couldn't show it. He needed Haradion to not be morally effected by him, as he looked up to Kopa, at least in these situations.

Hundreds of innocent people lay dead on the floor. Men, women...children; all dead in a sea of red blood that covered the terminal floor. Haradion collapsed down onto his knees, about to cry. He could only imagine his twelve-year old little brother being in place of one of those many dead children in front of him.

Kopa lowered his gun and put a hand on his young partner's shoulder.

"Look kid...There's nothing we could have done. I know this a lot for someone to see at your age (twenty-one) but we need to get going. We can't dwell on it otherwise we'll never be able to make the bastards pay. It wasn't your fault." He assured him and helped his partner to his feet.

"Now let's get going...We got us a fight to catch." Lieutenant Conner 'Kopa' Palladino said and raised his pistol again. He cocked it and stormed through the bloody terminal; fueled by a new rage.

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**How was it? It all made sense right? Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review.**


	13. Aftermath

**Sorry again for the day delay; but I needed to do a chapter for my other story. Hope you enjoy and this is the point in the story where everything starts to go dark. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 12. AFTERMATH**

_Back at the palace, time of massacre_

Kovu sat back at his table with Simba and Nala, enjoying himself. He could hardly feel a thing in his injured head, courtesy of the medicine and he felt great. He laughed and joked with his father-in-law and slowly forgot about the horrific nightmares and visions. He needed to try and deal with the problem himself; as he didn't want Simba finding out. If he did find out, Simba would lose trust in him yet again and think that he posed a threat to Kiara and her unborn baby. Kovu sipped the expensive champagne and the party progressed normally, until the ambience of the event started to fade from his ears...

Eventually his hearing faded completely; and he started to fear. He didn't want Simba to see one of his breakdowns; even though he'd come close to it a few times. _No...Please not now...with everyone here. _Some eerie voices then started playing in his ears; but they weren't the usual whispering of Scar and Zira's spirits. It was something much...much more chilling. Kovu's head throbbed as the vision started and he grabbed it in pain. The voices were the screams of hundreds of innocent people; that were all silence at once.

Images flashed in front of his eyes; images of families, mothers, fathers, children all being cut down by something he couldn't see. Then a crazy laughter broke out, and was followed by a hissing voice that silenced it. _Shut your cake-hole Ed. We ain't done yet. _The screams then started up again. Then Kovu came back to the real world.

He panted and Simba looked at him with a worried expression. This vision ha just been too _real. _Kovu couldn't help but feel that something nasty was happening someplace else.

"Simba...something's happening." Kovu panted before he could ask _are you alright?_

"What's that?" Simba asked seriously.

"I don't know...But I've got a bad feeling about something and it ain't happening here." Kovu warned him.

Simba sighed and was about to reply, but was interrupted by a phone call. He drew his phone from his pocket and started away from the table. Just as he went he turned to Kovu.

"I'll be back in a second." He said and walked a few meters away from the table to take his call. Kovu couldn't help eavesdropping on his conversation.

"Hallo...Simba here...Wait..._What happened?" _As Simba said 'what happened' in disbelief, he froze in shock and his phone slid out of his hand, away from his ear. The iPhone 4S clattered to the floor and smashed, but Simba didn't seem to notice and just stood there; frozen.

Kovu got up and walked over to him to see if he was okay. He tapped him on the shoulder but Simba didn't respond.

"What's wrong?" Kovu asked him. Simba finally turned his head to face him, with a terrified expression on his face.

"Three hundred and twenty-eight people...my god, my god." Were all the words Simba could manage.

Kovu then understood. The vision _was real. _He didn't know what to say or do. Security guards then burst into the Royal ballroom and shouted into a megaphone.

"I NEED EVERYONE TO COME WITH US RIGHT NOW! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND SECURITY HAS BEEN MOVED TO MAXIMUM. THERE IS NOW A NATIONAL THREAT TO THE PRIDELANDS." The lead guard shouted into the megaphone, and everyone started chatting amongst themselves with worried tones.

Eventually they complied, everyone but Simba that it. He just stood there and shook his head sadly. He then rushed over to Kovu and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look after Kiara. And also...Order the defense department to be moved to DEFCON One. There's no hiding from the media now." Simba told him. Kovu raised an eyebrow.

"The nuke?"

"No. Well it is more than likely related to what happened. We've got our guys now and they _will _pay for what they've done." Simba growled in rage and then turned towards his guards.

As Simba ran he thought. He wasn't shocked to learn that Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had been their criminals all along, but what they had just _done _sent chills down his spine. He never rated them as criminals of that scale; let alone terrorists. As far as he was concerned they were just common street mobsters, but that wasn't the case anymore.

_Meanwhile, at the airport_

Kopa and Haradion watched in despair and frustration as the disguised ambulance sped away from the airport with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed safely inside. They had removed the license plates, so they couldn't track the ambulance. Kopa threw his Glock pistol down onto the ground in pure rage and screamed in anguish. He could have stopped them; easily. He reassured himself that he would be able to bring them to justice; he was federal police officer and they were just common mobsters right?

Haradion was on his knees sobbing; and he couldn't blame him. Kopa had seen some nasty things in his life, but nothing like that. Genocide not seen since Scar's infamous concentration camps. If Kopa had problems managing the sights, then Haradion wouldn't keep it together at all.

Kopa put a hand on his young comrade's shoulder and helped him up. He let Haradion cry on his shoulder and felt a few tears come on himself. He only then realized how much of a father and role model he was like to Haradion, even though he was only seven years younger than him. As Kopa comforted him, he had already begun to think about how to track the monsters. Then it hit him; the hanger door.

It needed to be opened manually by a switch on the control panel somewhere at the back. And Kopa hadn't seen anyone turn it. All three of them had jumped into the ambulance and sped off. The hanger door had shut automatically which meant..._there is still a hostile inside the hanger. _Kopa's eyes opened wide at the revelation and he swung around.

As he expected, he saw a man sneaking away from the hanger; disguised as an airport worker. When he saw Kopa looking at him, he gasped and broke into a sprint.

"HEY YOU! GET BACK HERE!" Kopa shouted out but the man ignored him.

Kopa and Haradion sprinted after him; fueled by a new rage. The man had a healthy head start, but Kopa was too fit and conditioned for him. He started to catch up and the man drew a compact USP pistol from his jacket; about to fire on Kopa.

Kopa was too quick for him though; he drew his own Glock handgun and fired a solitary shot at the man's shoulder; a non-lethal shot. The man was thrown backwards with the impact and collapsed down on the floor; wincing in pain. He tried to get up, but Kopa rushed over to him and tackled him down to the floor.

"PRIDELAND INTELLIGENCE!" He screamed and smashed the man's head against the hard tile floor.

He then decided to use the opportunity to interrogate the man; as much as he wanted to kill him it wasn't the best thing to do. He tightened his grip on the man's throat and held Haradion back with his other hand.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?" He screamed into the man's ear.

The man just laughed maniacally and Kopa punched him in the jaw hard to snap him out of it. The man then decided to speak.

"You are just another one of those patriotic fools. Another star-spangled officer with no plan. You can't make me talk..._You have nothing to threaten me with. _Soon you will see..." The man said threateningly.

"You listen to me you evil..." Kopa snarled, but was interrupted by the man.

"No you listen Lieutenant Palladino. Evil does not exist...It is only what you make of it. _Long...Live...HYENA!" _The man breathed and then bit into something in his mouth.

At first Kopa thought it was his tooth, but then saw that he had a cyanide pill inside his mouth. _NO! _Kopa thought and shook him, but it was too late. The man's mouth foamed and he slowly died on the floor right there in front of him. The man was his only lead; and now he had taken his own life.

Kopa then grabbed Haradion by the shoulder and gestured towards the elevator.

"We're done here."

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**How was it? Don't forget to review!**


	14. A Thousand Suns

**So this chapter 13, and important as it sets the tone for the rest of the story. And no, that wasn't Ed who took his life last chapter, it was just a HYENA inside man. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 13. A THOUSAND SUNS**

_Several hours after airport massacre_

Kopa and Haradion miserable walked into their luxurious apartment and closed the door behind them. Haradion ran to his room and Kopa could hear him crying; the poor kid still though it was his fault. Kopa sighed; it was his fault if anyone. He could have attacked them and stopped them, but he stuck to procedure and tracked them instead. He had followed the bureaucratic rules of engagement- which wasn't like him at all. Normally he was the one that would go diving into a fight. But he didn't and many people had paid for that decision.

He had to put all that behind him; as he needed to be focused on redeeming himself in his own eyes and tracking down the three monsters. He knew who they were now, and as soon as he felt like it was appropriate, he was going to go straight to the PI1 Headquarters to start his search.

He sighed and held back tears, as he gently strummed the strings of his guitar; a 1954 Fender Stratocaster that his mother had bought him. He played a soft gentle tune that mad him feel even worse, so he stopped and placed the instrument down. Then he felt a warm, wet sensation on his hand. His German Shepard dog 'Bella' licked his hand, as if she knew what he was going through. Kopa stroked her fur softly and sighed yet again.

Then his mobile phone started ringing. He picked it up; and found a very agitated Chief Langdon ordering him to come back to the HQ for debriefing on his experience. For once Langdon didn't seem mad at him; as if he knew what he felt. Kopa shook off that thought. There wasn't a single thing Langdon wouldn't do to get him fired. Kopa walked into Haradion's room and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Chief wants us back at HQ for debriefing." Kopa said sharply and Haradion nodded sadly.

He put his shoes back on, before following Kopa outside and to his Jaguar. They drove without conversation; as they were both still shaken. After a while of driving, Kopa finally reached the PI1 HQ building and stormed inside. As he walked, pretty much everyone in the immense building turned to face him with strange expressions. They knew what had happened, and it made Kopa and Haradion feel very awkward.

He walked into the command room and a very stressed looking Langdon met them. He put his hands on his hips and sighed when he saw them. He cleared his throat and spoke, with a reassuring expression on his face; which Kopa thought was weird for him.

"Look...I know what you went through today, and I know it may be hard for you to understand...but uh...You did the right thing." Langdon said and Kopa frowned in rage.

"DID THE RIGHT THING? We could have stopped the bastards!" Kopa yelled at him.

"You did the right thing in sticking to procedure, and saved both of your lives which are..." Langdon tried to say but Kopa yelled to cut him off.

"PROCEDURE? JESUS FUCKING CHRIST LANGDON! Would you rather have your petty fucking rules followed or an extra three hundred and fifty-eight innocent civilians alive?" Kopa shouted aggressively.

"Now, now. Your lives are much more valuable to the agency than a few..." Langdon started, revealing his true colors.

"Our lives? Two grown men for a few hundred mean, women and children sounds like a fair trade to me you sick bastard. That's the last time I follow procedure." Kopa snarled and Langdon lost his cool.

"You listen to me Lieutenant..." Chief Langdon started angrily, but then Kopa lost control of his rage.

"No you listen to me asshole..." Kopa growled through clenched teeth and swung a right hook at him, knocking him to the floor with a bloodied lip.

Kopa jumped on top of his superior officer, ready to beat the daylights out of him for his heartless behavior. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and prepared for another punch. Everyone else in the command center just watched; stunned and unsure of what to do. This massacre had thrown them into a state of anarchy. Their best agent and Chief were fighting.

"ENOUGH!" A deep voice bellowed from the back of the room. Kopa paused from his fight and turned to see Simba standing in the command center doorway with a stern expression. Everyone in the room either dropped to their knees or saluted.

"At ease." Simba told them and they relaxed. He then stormed his way over to Kopa, who was still kneeling on top of Langdon. He pulled Kopa off of him and glared at him in the eyes.

"Don't be a fool son. There's nothing any of us could have done to stop today's events, and we need to put the past behind us; if we are to succeed in bringing these people to justice." Simba said wisely and Kopa nodded; composing himself.

Simba then turned to face everyone in the command room.

"I can confirm that these people: Shenzi Goldberg, Banzai Marin and Edward Cummings are responsible and have been tracked down." Simba announced and everyone exchanged glances.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's kick their asses." Haradion growled and Simba put a hand up to silence him.

"It's not that easy. We've now discovered what they did with that plutonium. And I was sent a personal message by the three leaders of this organization, which is much bigger than we expected." Simba said and plugged a USB into one of the PI1's computers. He then clicked on an audio file.

"_Yo Simba dawg, what up brother?" _Shenzi's sarcastic voice said on the message, deliberately sounding informal and disrespectful. Everyone in the room raised an eyebrow after the remark.

"_You remember us right? The poor old guys you convicted for submitting to you and saving hundreds of lives? Well as you can see, that really pissed us off. Anyway we busted our of your little time-out corner some years back, and have been waiting to bring your corrupt, fucked up nation to its knees. If you think about it, it doesn't even deserve to exist. You can't even manage your own population (Referring to the Outlanders and East Side) and it rebels against you. People credit you for this, why? Because you got the power, the power of a lion. But we got no power, and we have always lived in the lion's shadow the lion used to be Scar, and now it's you. We're like...hyenas you could say. So we've name our little club 'H-Y-E-N-A' which stands for hitting your exalted naive ass, back to where it belongs that is. In the wild, the lion is always credited as the hero, even though it steals more Hyena kills than any other animal. These are the days when that stops, and the hyena rises out the lion's shadow..."_

Kopa took all this information in, the guys sounded like stupid idiots, but he knew that they couldn't be if they were that cunning and had people in high places. They also had a nuclear bomb, so that put them in checkmate.

"_You can feel free to come and try to get us, hell, I'll even give you our address if you like. But if you come and try to arrest or kill us, we'll use that plutonium we pinched from you. Yeah that's right...There's a nuclear bomb somewhere in your city. But beware, it ain't just any nuke, its got a special kick to it. Mixed in with plutonium is a very nasty juice called 'E115'. After the city lights up like a thousand suns, a gas toxin will be spread around the city with the radiation and it has a tendency to cause severe hallucinations, and eventual mental break down. So it will be a slow, bitter death for your precious little town supposing you try anything stupid. If you do comply with our requests, then one important person will die with each offense. So don't do anything stupid. Don't try to negotiate with us either...it won't work. We can't be bribed, bargained with or threatened, all we want to see is your corrupt country be engulfed by FEAR. And that's about it...so adios amigo." _Shenzi concluded and laughed cruelly, her laughter was then followed by the laughter of a man, except his was much more hysterical.

"_Hey Ed pipe down! I'm doing an important threatening call here._" Kopa heard Shenzi's voice scold the other man, while the microphone was still recording.

"_Aw Jesus Christ..._*Punching sounds and laughing ceases* _Yeah shut up. Sorry about that, anyway, be prepared Simba, and all those you may show this to." _Shenzi said one final time before the message came to an end.

Once the message came to an end everyone started talking amongst themselves in a panicked tone. Simba shouted out to silence them.

"Nobody panic, we'll just be giving them what they want..._Fear. _We need to find a way around this problem with the least media attention as possible. I want everything that can be done to be done. I want that nuke found and defused before or whole god damn country goes up in the light of a thousand suns." Simba called out and everyone reluctantly calmed down.

_Amen. _Kopa thought.

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**How was it? WARNING: The 'Hyenas' stay true to their promise of blackmailing the Pridelands and this causes a very sad scene that is coming up. Don't Forget to review!**


	15. Fear Is Out

**Sorry about the day delay; but I couldn't find the time to write this. This chapter is a bit of character development, and helps thicken the dark plot. WARNING: Sad scenes approaching. Don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 14. FEAR IS OUT**

Simba gulped and sweated; today was his media conference, the day where he had to confirm the rumors of the nuclear bomb that he had previously denied. There was no escaping it now; the truth was out. No...Fear was out. Simba doubted that anyone in the entire nation of the Pridelands has slept that night, knowing that any minute they could die a psychologically painful death. He had learnt a little bit about this chemical gas called 'E115'. It was a hallucinogen that caused slow mental break down and death. Firstly, it would create visions and hallucinations of a person's worst nightmare, and plague their mind until it destroyed itself. Another bad thing about it is that it killed pain; so the death would feel purely psychological as the victim died. The gas was made from the element 'Ununpentium' which was a highly unstable, radioactive material. It was also element '115' on the periodic table; hence the name.

Simba had learned that Nala had been involved with the research behind the project. She ordered its development as a type of riot control gas, but cancelled the program when she saw what it really did. However, it was _still _meant to be in development. So how did Shenzi get a hold of it? How did she perfect it? A million questions raced through Simba's mind but he knew they were questions that Kopa and the Prideland Intelligence would answer for him, eventually.

Simba walked up to the press conference and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Photographers noticed this and snapped several pictures; while he just stood behind the microphone nervously. He cleared his throat and tapped the microphone.

"This thing on? Okay...We all know why I'm here before you today. A few days ago the Prideland City International Airport was subject to a major terrorist attack. I would just like to let you know that my thoughts and prayers go out to families of those who died." Simba started and bit his lip in front of the audience. He knew this was getting streamed to the world, so there was no easy way to say it.

"What about the nuke?" A random journalist shouted out. Simba gulped and looked up at the crowd.

"It is my unfortunate duty to inform the citizens of the Pridelands that...A few days ago, some plutonium was stolen from the royal armory, and we have reason to believe that there is a weapon of mass destruction is being exploited against the government." Simba answered and instantly, the crowd burst into a panicked chatter and started shouting random questions at him. Simba had to yell into the microphone to silence them.

"SILENCE...Everything that can be done is being done. We have all available Intelligence agents on the case, all domestic and international flights have been suspended, and the Prideland Military is on DEFCON One." Simba reported to his people but again they burst into anxious chatter.

"Why aren't we evacuating the city?" Another random woman asked, scared and angry at Simba's so called lack of action.

"The people responsible for the theft and airport massacre have demanded that no people leave the city or they will detonate the nuclear device. Even though we don't negotiate with terrorists...We can't risk people lives by calling a bluff. We've seen first hand what they can do." Simba said and more angered protests broke out.

Simba walked off stage as the media shouted out questions and accusations after him. Simba knew that he had just painted a target on his head; but the HYENA officials demanded that the people know the truth; otherwise they would assassinate a high-profile individual for every demand they broke. And if the tally got to ten...they would detonate the bomb. He would have to live as an unpopular leader with his people until the threat was neutralized, which he hoped wouldn't take long. His own people had almost lost their faith in him, which he found to be quite appalling. They seemed to forget why they were even a democracy; Simba had risked his life to make it happen, and taken out the evil dictator Scar. He had also made the Pridelands an economic superpower, so why did the people forget everything he had done for them right at that moment? Simba would get through it...like he always did.

He miserably walked off stage and was met by his wife Nala waiting for him. She hugged him and ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair. Nala looked him in the eyes with a reassuring smile, knowing the stress he was going through.

"Don't worry...We'll get through it...We always have." She reassured him and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"I hope so." He said and held her tight. He really appreciated her support right now.

The truth was out now, and there was no escaping it. The citizens of Prideland City were stranded in their city...stranded in an unimaginable level of _fear._

_Not too long after, HYENA Headquarters._

Shenzi sat behind her stolen plasma TV screen and watched her work happily. She was watching the Prideland News, and saw images of her storming the airport. The news was then interrupted, by an update on Simba's press conference.

"_We interrupt this program for breaking news, King and Head of State 'Simba' had just spoken with the media and confirmed the rumors of the nuclear bomb. He didn't however; mention anything about this mysterious toxin 'E115' as conspiracy theorists call it. His lack of action and banning of commercial flights has caused a great civil outcry. Many have turned against him and lost their faith in the constitutional monarchy, and this had led to other disturbances. Riots storm the streets of Prideland and police have the difficult job of keeping them under control. It is unknown why Simba is going about the situation so casually, but one thing is for certain. The Pridelands are having their worst week in history, a terrorist strike that eclipsed the 2006 city bombing and the 9/11 attacks of 2001, a nuclear bomb hidden somewhere and a terrorist insurgency stalking our streets..." _The newsman reported.

Shenzi laughed at the feeble country. Why did they think that they could live so large without a care for the rest of the world? She watched happily as she saw Prideland City starting to consume itself, riots stormed the streets; fueled by anger and fear that she had induced. They were finally kicking Simba off his throne and bringing the wretched country to its knees. If this was how the citizens reacted to a threat, then Shenzi couldn't wait to see what happened when E115 (a fear inducing toxin) was let loose on them. Everything was going according to plan.

Suddenly, the door to her command room swung open, and everyone inside stopped talking.

"_Sh! It's the boss..._" Shenzi heard one of her men say and she immediately leapt to her feet.

Her mentor casually entered the room. He was the man, the legend. He had met Shenzi, Banzai and Ed in prison and educated them there; turning them from common street gangsters into state of the art insurgents. He was the most brilliant mind Shenzi had met, he had planned this for them for years and now it was finally coming together. He helped them escape from prison, and braved the harsh conditions for three more years until he was released. His family had moved to the Pridelands during the Second World War, when his people were facing persecution by the Soviet Union. He expected to find a new life there, but what did he find? Only more hatred. Mohatu (King at the time) had set up a policy that all families that fled Axis-controlled countries live in crowded detention centers. During this time, his father was killed in a brawl and his mother died from sickness due to the poor living conditions.

After that, the man had taken up a career in chemistry, and during Scar's regime, he developed his greatest invention: E115. But he wouldn't get to use it until now. The man's name was Friedrich Heckler.

He didn't greet anyone in the command room, and just walked about, inspecting everything. All of the other HYENA operatives remained silent and in the attention position; in respect to him. Heckler inspected all of them and the command room; which appeared to be in prime shape. He looked over each and every one of the soldiers, who were standing in a line. A eventually came across a man that seemed to be holding back laughter as he stood in line. Laughter at the awkward silence. Heckler stopped in front of him and glared, but the soldier didn't change his expression. Eventually he smirked and burst into laughter, while Heckler stood in front of him unimpressed. Heckler snarled and drew his Luger pistol from his black leather jacket. That was the problem with HYENA soldiers; they just couldn't take anything seriously. And it was idiots like that he needed to rid of.

" _Schweinhund..." _

_BANG!_

Everyone gasped as Heckler shot the disrespectful soldier right in front of them, but other than that they didn't dare say a word, fearing they may get the same treatment. He may be mentally brilliant, but he was emotionally cold and cruel. Heckler holstered the pistol and nodded. Everything...other than the dead soldier was in order. He approached Shenzi and nodded again.

"I see you keep your command room well. Well done. Everything is perfect and going according to plan." Heckler said to her and exited the room.

Shenzi exhaled in relief and got back to work. _That went well. _She thought. It was a seldom event that Heckler checked up on them.

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**How was it? The Pridelands are in some deep shit now right? Don't forget to review!**


	16. Striking Back

**Sorry about the delay again. I'm also sorry I forecasted the sad scenes a little early, they should come the chapter after this. I've had to split this chapter into two parts due to length issues, the second will be more eventful and action packed. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 15. STRIKING BACK**

_3 Days after Simba's Press Conference_

Simba tapped his foot anxiously and waited as a surveillance UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) took to the skies with a loud _whoosh! _sound. Today was the day. He had promised the people that he would eliminate the threat, and he was a man of his word. After today the terror would be over, and HYENA would be forced to reveal the location of its bomb. Once the bomb was found and defused, then the entire Pridelands would sleep safely once more, and regain their trust in Simba's government.

The plan was simple. PI1 had finally managed to track the location of HYENA's HQ, and they were going to storm the place. The supposed Headquarters were at the Prideland City Docks; which suited the task force he had chosen. He had placed his trust in EJ; and he had delivered. EJ had assembled the Prideland Marines' finest, and was going to lead them into battle. They were like a 'new Delta-Four' as he liked to call them. And then there was Lieutenant Palladino and Agent Dion; they had a new bloodlust for the HYENA operatives after seeing what they had done and were desperate to make them pay. They were experienced police/federal officers, and had been involved with SWAT strikes before; so Simba allowed them to go along. They would be careful on their mission though, as Shenzi said that any attempt at destroying her organization would result in instant detonation of the nuke. The mission was top-secret.

"Okay...UAV surveillance is online." The pilot/operator said and guided the drone over the docks, from a unimaginable altitude.

_In a Marines' Armed Troop Carrier (ATC) _

Everyone sat nervously in their seats with their combat gear; except Kopa, Haradion and EJ. Kopa and Haradion were so looking forward to avenging the hundreds of civilians killed at the airport that they felt anxious rather than nervous. And EJ slept in his seat as usual, even though the vehicle was bouncing around. Apparently, EJ never felt scared. And Kopa believed that, he had an extremely tough attitude and wore an eye patch over one eye (As a result of the battle with the Outlanders); striking fear into the hearts of his opponents. He was probably the best soldier the Pridelands had seen since Matthew Weaver.

Simba watched the vehicle advance closer and closer to the docks from the UAV camera, and suddenly had a bad feeling. He shook of the feeling and spoke into microphone.

"Alright guys I got eyes on...You're clear to advance. Operation Counterstrike is a go." He said and the message was played through he inside of the ATC. EJ was awoken from his snoring and immediately unbuckled himself and pulled out his favorite M4 rifle.

All the other Marines carried the new standard issue ACRs with electric firing pin technology, but he had developed a spiritual connection with his rifle and kept it. He didn't trust the new electric weapons, as he had a bad feeling that someday a major flaw in them would be revealed. That's why he kept his M4, and he also wore a green headband instead of the standard issue helmets and balaclavas.

Everyone else also heard Simba's message and stood up inside the truck. They loaded their weapons and fastened the balaclavas around their faces; including the two PI1 agents that EJ had been reluctant to let along. He wanted this to be a pure PRMC operation but that wasn't to be the case.

"Lock and load people...We're thirty seconds out." The drivers voice said on the radio.

"You heard the man! Its time to rock and roll..." EJ shouted out and his men jeered confidently.

"Remember, these are dangerous people we are dealing with...Keep your heads low and stay frosty. Uragh?" EJ called out and his men responded enthusiastically.

"U-RAGH!" They shouted out in unison as the vehicle slowed to a stop.

"Are you ready?" Kopa asked his partner Haradion and slipped on a mask and helmet.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Haradion said and pulled loaded the ACR rifle he had been given; and also his police Glock pistol.

The door to the ATC suddenly swung open and the Prideland Marines hurried out. The sound of footsteps echoed around the seemingly deserted docks. The ATC sped away as the Marines filed out and started searching for their hostiles. EJ was instantly worried that there was nobody to be seen, as he had been in that situation once before and it had cost him an eye. He swung his M4 in all directions as they edged closer and closer to the supposed HYENA command center; an office at the docks. The men groaned at the disappointment of not finding anything.

"Simba the place is a negative, I think our intel was off." EJ said in the microphone and Kopa (Who stood next to him) raised an eyebrow underneath his combat goggles. _That can't be right...I found the information personally. _

"Way to go Palladino." One of the marines, 'Spector' remarked sarcastically at Kopa.

Kopa was sure his information was right; but the situation around him told him otherwise. They walked on for a few minutes with lowered weapons until they finally came across the remains of what looked like used to be some sort of militia base. There were weapons crates shoved into containers, papers lying everywhere and more telltale signs lying all over the place.

"Correction. We have found the base, but whoever was here...is long gone. Someone must have tipped them off." EJ reported, concerned. How could HYENA have been warned about their coming? The mission was top secret.

"OK...Just sweep the area, stay on _full _alert and look for any clues to their whereabouts." Simba told EJ on the microphone and he nodded.

"Okay boys...The boss says look for enemy intel so lets get searching!" EJ called out to his troops and they started to fan out in all directions.

_On top of a crane overlooking the docks_

Shenzi shook her head as she looked through her binoculars. She was now going to teach the Prideland Marines a thing or two about combat. Firstly, she was going to exploit their greatest weakness as Heckler instructed her; the electric weapons. Then her men would pick off each and every one of those pathetic jarheads. Shenzi was surprised Simba even had the courage to try and pull of an operation like that, as she had told him the consequences. But Heckler had anticipated the move, and warned her early. Shenzi reached into her pocket and produced a walkie-talkie.

"Gentlemen...The fish are in the barrel." She announced and watched on safely.

Banzai and his squad got the message and started to advance from all directions...

_Back at the abandoned HYENA base_

EJ flicked through the documents left by HYENA, and found nothing of any significance. Mostly receipts for all the weapons they had purchased. He entered the office that was meant to be their command room; and found it to be completely stripped of any valuable objects or information. He then turned towards the door but then noticed something; a large redwood desk at the back of the door. It had a large piece of paper left on it.

EJ approached it and noticed the _Made In Germany _sticker on the side. He then turned his attention back towards the note left on it. A large message was left in bright red ink.

_To whom it may concern..._

_Nice try, but you'll have to do better._

_Your arrogance is your weakness...ah fuck it I'll just get right to the point._

_Checkmate._

_Sincerely, your killers: Shenzi, Banzai and Ed._

When EJ finished reading it his jaw dropped. It was Outlander storm all over again. He raised his rifle in alarm and was about to shout out to his men but then something happened.

The lights in the abandoned command room and docks flickered off, leaving the area pitch black.

"Ah fuck...The infrared's screwed!" One marine called out.

"Jesus Christ...My red dot is out...and so is my firing pin! Cap'n something's up! All the electrics are useless." Spector exclaimed and EJ was quick to silence him.

"I know...It was an EMP. Get ready for the fight of your life." EJ warned him.

"But my gun doesn't work!"

"Work around it corporal...You're going to need to..."

Suddenly EJ caught sight of several shadows moving in the darkness...

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**How was it? The second part to this will be next chapter and the sad one should follow. WARNING: Be prepared for anything, as this story will be a twisty roller coaster ride. Don't Forget to review!**


	17. You Broke Our Rules

**Sorry again about the day delay; but it is getting really hard to update this every day. This is the second part to the last chapter; and set the stage for a few more chapters to come. Sorry I forecasted the sad part so early; that is still at least a chapter away. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 16. YOU BROKE OUR RULES...**

EJ spun around, following the faint silhouettes of men running through the darkness. He was in the same situation he was in back when he fought the Outlanders, but this time he knew what to do; keep a cool head. But this time his men were practically unarmed (The EMP took out their electric weapons) and he was the only one who could save them. He could hear the panicked whispering from his squad of Marines and it didn't make him feel any better.

"Let's light the bastards up eh?" EJ exclaimed and drew a flare from his kit. He lit it and threw it into the area he though he saw things moving in.

As soon as the red flare hit the ground, it illuminated the horde of H-Y-E-N-A soldiers closing in on them. _Shit there's hundreds of them! _EJ thought and raised his M4.

"LET'S ROCK!"

_RATATATATATATATATATAT!_

He cut down the first group of enemy troops like it were grass. Banzai (Who was leading the HYENA troops) noticed this and jumped back in fright. One of them still had a gun that worked, and it had just cost them. He also hadn't expected EJ to use a flare to light up the place, and that had cost them too. Captain EJ Jones was full of surprises.

"Hey Shenzi, one of their guys still has a gun!" Banzai exclaimed into the radio.

"Well then kill him you imbecile." Shenzi snarled back. _Easy for you to say. _

Banzai ordered the first wave of troops to advance on the Marines, but EJ's suppressing fire made that near impossible. One man was holding up a hundred. The other Marines just stood there dumbfounded as their captain courageously held out for them. But he couldn't stop them from being flanked though. And sure enough that did happen. Three squads of HYENA operatives appeared behind EJ's and fired on them, killing several marines. Corporal Spector was terrified; he had never seen someone be killed before, and this was his first ever combat mission. He watched helplessly as his comrades, his brothers were cut down around him.

Meanwhile, Kopa and Haradion realized that their electric assault rifles weren't going to help them due to the EMP so they drew their police pistols and backed EJ up. But it did almost no good. Soon, the only ones left alive were EJ, Kopa, Haradion and Corporal Spector (who was hiding in a corner).

_Meanwhile, in the PI1 command room_

Simba had lost contact with the squad of Marines, and strangely, the UAV camera had fizzled out, leaving him with no clue as to what was going on down there. The last thing that he heard was EJ yelling out something, then static. As if all electronic were being shut down.

"EJ? Palladino?" Simba said hopelessly on the radio.

The radio hissed but then something came through, he heard the screams of several marines and the crackling of machine gun fire. He gasped in terror and then marched over to where he had put his walkie-talkie. He scooped it up and punched in Lorenzo's (Who was buzzing around nearby) frequency. Simba's sixth sense then kicked in and he assumed the worst.

"Lorenzo, EJ's in trouble. The whole mission is compromised! I need you to get them out of there ASAP!" Simba yelled into the radio, and miles away, Lorenzo got his message.

She heard the frantic radio call as she hovered in her V-22 Osprey, and at first went about it like any normal rescue mission. But then it hit her; that squad of marines was the one her Harry 'Haradion' Dion had volunteered to fight for. He was the only man she had ever loved, and would never let him die. This inspired her to fly at the Osprey at a new, unimaginable intensity. She needed to get to the docks, and fast.

Meanwhile, EJ and his three companions were fast running out of time. EJ had fought off the shock of losing many good men. But he couldn't let that stop him. He was the only one smart enough to bring an old style weapon instead of one of those new, electric ones. He drew the spare shotgun that he 'kept for special occasions' and tossed it to the terrified Corporal Spector.

"Here kid, now go nail some of the bastards." EJ ordered him and he complied, shooting at anything that moved in front of them, while Kopa and Haradion furiously held off the HYENA forces from behind.

It was almost no use. They were getting overrun and quickly. _That's it... _Banzai thought as his men closed in on the four of them with as little blood spilled as possible. Unlike Zira and Scar, he was much more careful about how he used his soldiers and keeping them alive. The firing from the marines then started to cease and he expected to see white flags from them soon; but that would be when they execute them live for Simba, rather than wasting them.

He smiled evilly, but then the sound of rotors was heard, and the sound was getting louder and louder. Banzai paused and held up a fist; gesturing for his troops to stop. A large shadow then swept over them, and he looked up to see Lorenzo's huge V-22 Osprey turn around to aim its mighty missile launchers at them. EJ then jumped out of his cover and repeated the same words that Banzai had used on his note for him.

"Checkmate...Sincerely your ass-kickers Captain EJ, Lieutenant Kopa, Agent Dion, and good old Corporal Colette Lorenzo!" He exclaimed and as if on cue, two 'Maverick' missiles launched out from the side mounted tubes and smashed into the roof of the docks, making it collapse on top of Banzai and his thugs. EJ cheered; they were saved.

EJ, Kopa, Haradion and 'Spector' ran towards the descending Osprey and jumped aboard just as it was low enough. Lorenzo wasted no time and gunned it away from the tragic scene of the battlefield. Kopa honestly couldn't figure out how they survived that situation, or how they got into it in the first place. Someone would have had to have tipped HYENA off about the mission. It was the only way. However, they did succeed in at least hurting them, they had killed at least a hundred of them, if not more.

"Simba the four survivors are secure, returning to base now. It was all a trap; someone tipped them off. By the way we can confirm one hundred plus enemy K. (killed in action)." Lorenzo reported and back at Simba's command room, the King sighed in relief.

Spector cried in sadness and horror as they flew back home; his friends and spiritual brothers had just been killed. EJ, Kopa and Haradion remained emotionless; hardened by previous experiences. They knew that technically Operation Counterstrike was a Disaster, but didn't feel like showing it. It was nothing compared to what they had seen in the past.

_Meanwhile back at the docks_

Banzai and a few survivors from the blast emerged from the wreckage; stunned. They groaned and painfully wiped the dust and rubble off of them. That was HYENA's one weakness at the moment; the Pridelands' air support and power. But that was a weakness that they would soon address. Banzai drew his walkie-talkie from his pocket to find that it had been smashed in the blast. He threw it down in anger and stamped on it, but then a feminine had grabbed his shoulder. The hand belonged to Shenzi, who had come down after the Marines had flown away.

"Relax. It actually did more good than harm for us. They now know that we have people everywhere, and can't be hidden from. They now also know that we can decimate even their best, so it will only help to build up even more _fear._" Shenzi told him and Banzai started to calm down; seeing her logic.

"And that reminds me...They broke our golden rule: Don't try and terminate us. So we have to give them a little reprimand...so that they don't do it again." Shenzi added and drew her cell phone.

"You're going to blow it?" Banzai asked and raised and eyebrow.

"No, not yet. I know that was what I said I would do...But it is too early. And besides, it was only Simba that broke the rule by authorizing the attack. So why let the million suffer for the one? That is one of the things we are fighting for remember." Shenzi preached and dialed in a number.

"So what did you have in mind?" Banzai asked, interested now.

"Well...We are aiming to destroy him psychologically, so that the people see how weak he really is. I've got an idea. Three days from now, Simba will be doing a live speech in honor of those who died in the airport massacre in front of the media in Mufasa Memorial Square, and a few of his family members will be there along with him, and a few other high profile individuals..." Shenzi sneered and Banzai grinned, knowing what she meant.

_Two hours later PI1 command center_

Simba leant against the wall sadly as his four surviving members of the squad were debriefed and questioned. He noticed the forlorn expressions on their faces with glints of hatred and terror in their eyes. They had been through a lot and felt terrible. As they exited the debrief room, Simba stopped Kopa and sighed.

"Listen kid...I'm sorry. If I had known that this would have happened I certainly wouldn't have let you go along. Especially after you were just at the airport tragedy." Simba told him and Kopa shook his head.

"It's okay sir, I knew what I was getting myself into. I should be apologizing...My intel was off..." Kopa moaned and sighed himself.

"Not it wasn't. Somebody tipped them off, and that makes me wonder who this person is and what position they were in to find out about the assault. Do you think you an track this person for me?" Simba requested.

"Yes sir, I'll do everything in my power."

Simba smiled and ruffled Kopa's hair, which he thought was a little weird. But Simba wasn't doing it out of affection; as he drew his hand back he saw he had gotten what he a wanted: a strand of Kopa's auburn hair. With that he smiled at Kopa one last time and exited the room. He reentered to PI1 command and secretly handed the strand to an ID detective there.

"I need a DNA check on a suspected VIP." He told the detective and he lifted and eyebrow.

"Palladino? Do you think he's the traitor? You can't be serious..." The man said and Simba shook his head.

"I don't think that at all. I just want to know something. Find out the names of both his father and mother for me. I want to see where he came from." Simba told him and slowly started to leave.

"Well in terms of looks he reminds me of younger version of you." The detective said.

"Exactly...And that name...Palladino...It's like I've heard it before." Simba said and walked away from him without another word. The detective just shrugged and pocketed the hair.

Simba sat down in his chair anxiously for several minutes until some panicked shouts rang across from the back of the command room. A PI1 agent sprinted across the floor and brought a phone to him. Just as Simba took the phone from him the man mouthed the word '_Shenzi'. _Simba frowned and took and held the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Ah...Simba brother. That was quite a show that one, great move having some guys with 'working' guns and air support. We actually didn't count on that...I'm legit impressed." _Shenzi said over the phone and Simba growled.

"What do you want?" He snarled.

"_Well you killed quite a few of our people today...and we didn't like that...not...one...bit. And we did say that any attempt to terminate us is futile and would result in serious punishment. And I'm a woman of my word." _Shenzi responded evilly and Simba's stomach sank.

"I'm warning you woman, you've seen what you're messing with and unless you want to see more...You're bluffing." Simba stuttered angrily but Shenzi's laughter cut him off.

"_Oh I'm not going to blow our little bomb just yet. That'll be saved for later. Instead, I'm just going to punish you. Not physically, not psychologically...bur emotionally. It's time to take you out of the picture._"

"You think you can just show up here and try to kill me? You don't seriously think you can..." Simba yelled into the microphone, half terrified at what was to come and half and half enraged at such a bold threat.

"_Yeah I do think I can. But what amused me about that little outburst was that you thought we were going to try to kill 'you'. Even though we could, we decided that breaking you down emotionally was the best way to go. We're going to kill a high profile person...one close to you. And this unnamed person also carries another thing that is precious to you. Even though it doesn't exist yet." _Shenzi's threat was clear, and when Simba realized what she meant; the phone slipped out of his hands and he panted in fear. _Kiara...they wouldn't..._

Simba's anger then turned to into full-blown rage and he yelled out in anguish. Tears streamed down his face as he picked up the phone again and shouted into it while cried in pure anger and despair. He leapt up from his chair as he screamed and all the PI1 members in the room flinched.

"YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH HER YOU'RE GOING STRAIGHT TO FUCKING HELL! You hear me? STRAIGHT TO FUCKING HELL! Why don't you come and try someone who can fight back you cowardly pieces of shit..." Simba rambled on but this was met by only more evil laughter as he yelled.

Simba threw the phone onto the ground and it smashed into a million pieces. He paced around the room angrily for a few moments while he dried his tears. HYENA had gone too far this time. No one said a word as he did this. Once he composed himself he pointed a finger at the equally depressed Kopa and spoke through clenched teeth.

"You...You watch Kiara at all times you hear me? Don't let her out of your sight; tell her that this is for her and her baby's safety. Take Agent Dion with you. Stay at the palace and in her presence until I'm sure the danger has passed." Simba ordered him and both Kopa and Dion nodded; as much as this was an extremely nasty situation, they felt honored that Simba trusted them with his daughter's life.

Simba then collapsed onto his chair and put his head in his hands. One way or another, HYENA _would _pay for this. And he would do anything to see that his daughter and unborn grandson remained safe. _Anything._

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__**Whoa that was long. Has HYENA gone too far this time? What will happen to Kiara? Find out. Don't forget to review!**


	18. Flashbacks

**Chapter 17...The chapter where so many questions are answered. We find out what happens to Kiara next chapter I swear, but for now, this chapter explains the origin of Lt. Conner 'Kopa' Palladino. And yes I have defied the 6NA storyline for his origin. I thought this would be better to enhance certain parts of the story later on. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 17. FLASHBACK**

_At the palace; following the threat on Kiara's life. 3 AM_

Simba sat on a chair out the front of Kiara's bedroom; not daring to look away. He felt there was almost nobody he could trust any more. Kopa and Haradion stood on either side of her door with their hands on their pistol holsters, and Kovu sat on Kiara's bed as she slept. Kovu didn't blink and was like a bulldog guarding its territory, Simba had told him about HYENA's threat and he Kovu didn't let Kiara out of his sight. As soon as he heard the news he had become super protective of his wife and unborn son. It was actions like these that made Simba think that he had let his daughter marry a good man; as Kovu would do anything to protect them like Simba would. They had also become very paranoid as well; every time there was a loud, sudden noise they flinched. So far HYENA had kept every promise they made (Unlike their former leader, Scar), so Simba knew they weren't bluffing.

As he sat in front of Kiara's room he felt his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. Kiara was asleep in Kovu's arms inside, and Kopa and Haradion had resorted to caffeine tablets to keep them awake through the night. Simba got the opportunity to look Kopa over one last time before he fell asleep. The man looked too much like him, and they even shared some personality features. It was because of this Simba anxiously awaited the DNA check results he had requested. He needed to know. Where did Kopa come from? What was his background? Who was his father? Simba's head overloaded with questions as he started to drift off to sleep with Kopa fresh in his head.

His eyes closed, and almost as soon as his eyelids made contact with each other, it started. _Palladino...Palladino...Palladino..._The name rang in Simba's ears as he slept. He was sure he knew the name now, but couldn't remember where from. It was all too long ago. Then the dream started.

_Two weeks before Simba's reunion with Nala: 2015_

_Alyssa Palladino slowed her car to a halt on Timon's driveway. Simba had acted strangely at University that day, and she needed to know why. She was his best friend, so he could tell her anything right? She was the only one (other than Timon and Pumbaa) that even knew his real name. He went by the false name 'Gaz Wallcroft' and that was the name everyone knew him by. Nobody, including herself knew what his background was. He didn't even feel comfortable telling her about that. Apparently he had done something 'terrible' as he called it and it haunted him._

_Alyssa knew that there was a hole in his heart; and tried her best to fill it for him. She had always been there for him the moment she met him. She was half the reason that Simba had been turned into the positive, fun-loving man he was. But she was through that man that Simba presented himself as. She knew that there would always be something inside him; something that he would never share with anyone. So many secrets, so many loves and losses. She wasn't one of them, at least she thought. In secret she had always viewed him as more than a friend; as they had been close for years. But she wasn't sure Simba returned that feeling. He knew that he still had a love for somebody else, whose name he wouldn't mention. All he knew about this mysterious girl is that she wasn't from around this end of town. And Alyssa didn't even care if Simba didn't like her; she just wanted to be there for him, no matter what._

_Alyssa Palladino knocked on Timon's door, and sure enough he answered. The door swung open and Timon smiled at her warmly._

"_Ah, what can I do for you Alyssa?" Timon asked politely._

"_Do you know where Simba is?" She asked him._

"_Down in his little spot in the jungle, I'd be careful if I were you, he's in a miserable mood." Timon told her and she nodded._

"_That's okay." If there was anything Alyssa knew how to do, it was to cheer up Simba. She had been doing it for years and had developed a special bond with him._

_She slowly walked into the dense jungle opposite Timon's mansion, and eventually came across the clearing on a hill that Simba like to be alone in. She found him lazily sitting on the hill, twiddling his thumbs. She also noticed the tear marks on his face._

"_Hey..." She said gently and Simba turned his head._

"_Oh...Hey Alyssa." Simba responded and turned away from her. Alyssa then proceeded to sit down next to him in the peaceful, beautiful environment._

"_So...Whatcha doing?" She asked him casually._

"_Nothing. Just thinking about my old man. Haven't seen him in years." Simba said and looked away from her as she snuggled up next to him._

"_I'm sure you'll find him some day." She reassured him but he shook his head sadly._

"_I doubt that." Images of that awful day raced through Simba's mind as he said that. Images of the traffic rush, the freeway and the limp body of Mufasa. _

_They sat next to each other silently and enjoyed each other's company. The birds chirped peacefully in the background, and the sun had started to set. Alyssa could feel her urge to tell Simba how she really felt about him growing, and a gravity growing between them. It was then she decided to ask Simba._

"_Simba...Have you ever loved anyone?" Simba sighed and nodded sadly._

"_Once, and she was everything to me. I haven't seen her since I was twelve, but I just can't describe it." Simba opened up to her and she stroked his hair._

"_What was her name?" Alyssa asked._

"_Nala. Nala Kelly. I don't think I'll ever see her again though." Simba said, thinking about the war-torn Pridelands under Scar's communist regime. It was unlikely that any of his old friends were alive. _

"_Well I hope you find her one day." Alyssa told him and smiled at him warmly. Simba smiled back and spoke._

"_Thanks Alyssa."_

"_What for?" She asked him._

"_For everything. Ever since I've moved here you've been one of the few people I can turn to. Thank you for always being there for me, I really appreciate it." Simba said and hugged her. Alyssa pulled away and held his hand in hers._

"_I'll always be there for you...always." Alyssa said and then she did it. She leant forward and kissed him. _

_At first Simba was a little shocked by the move, but then found himself kissing back. He had to fill the hole that had been left in his heart, and Nala wasn't coming back any day soon. Alyssa was perfect for that role._

_They kissed for several minutes out in the beautiful setting around them, and they began to touch. Alyssa stuck her hand up his sleeveless shirt and stroked his mighty chest; she savored his every breath against her hand. Simba ran a hand through her black hair and leant forward, forcing her flat against the ground. Alyssa moaned and ran a hand down his face as he touched her._

_They spent the next hour under the dim light of the sunset, and for the first time in years Simba felt like a whole person again. Alyssa Palladino was now everything that Nala used to be, and more. Alyssa felt the same; she lived a rough poor life and had never loved a man before. She would always be there for Simba...At least that's what she thought._

_Two weeks later, that all changed. Simba was reunited with his true love: who turned out to be a gorgeous, kick-ass sniper that worked for the Prideland Resistance Force. She would never forget the painful moment when Simba had called her up and said 'I'm sorry' but she understood. As painful as it was, what ever made Simba happy made her happy. And Alyssa Palladino never got the opportunity to tell him about the seed he had planted inside her, the one that would grow into a beautiful baby boy named Conner, but she like to call the boy 'Kopa'. Alyssa never told him about his father, and watched the news on TV when Simba retook the Pridelands from his uncle's terror. Alyssa was proud of Simba, and what he had become. She never told young Conner Palladino anything about Simba except 'Your father was a great man' he would normally reply: "Then why did he abandon us?" Alyssa told him that he had for the good of thousands of people; and Kopa never understood her._

Simba launched out of the dream/flashback; panting and sweating. It all made sense now. He could remember everything now, and in the morning that DNA test would come back and he would confirm what he believed. Simba was awestruck; he had a son. A son that has never been to far away from him, a strong young man, a role model...a good man. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten about Alyssa Palladino, how could he? She used to be everything to him in Nala's painful absence.

Simba had enough things to worry about at the moment, and now he had a son. He crept to the living room (Away from a tireless Kopa) and started writing a letter to Kopa. After a while, he finished the note and sealed it in an envelope just as Kopa entered through the door.

"You okay sir?" Kopa asked him and Simba hid the letter.

"Yeah I'm fine. Weird dreams that's all." Simba lied, it had been much more than a dream. It was a _flashback. _

Simba then went to his bedroom and fell asleep beside his wife Nala. He couldn't stop thinking about Kopa and his mother, even though the threat on Kiara was so much more important it didn't occupy his head nearly as much. He had a big day ahead of him tomorrow. It was the public memorial service for the victims of the airport massacre.

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**How was that? Yes, Nala isn't Kopa's mother as we have already established. Hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to review!**


	19. Sense Of Security

**So this is when the storm starts. WARNING: _extremely _sad scenes next chapter. You're warned. This particular chapter was directly inspired by the real life JFK assassination. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to review.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 18. SENSE OF SECURITY**

Simba sat in the back of a Royal security Range Rover anxiously. This was the day it was meant to happen. At 12:00 exactly. Kiara would be joining him for the speech at the public service to the shooting victims. Simba and Kovu were so scared, that if they even _blinked _HYENA would get to her. Simba wasn't going to let that happen though; these low-life scums that used to occupy the alleyways of East Side wouldn't blackmail him. HYENA may have people everywhere, but he wasn't one of them, so Kiara would stay with her and Kovu. And then there was Kopa and his PI1 force prowling the streets for anything that so much as looked unusual.

Simba had made an effort to clear all the buildings in the city square before the ceremony commenced, so that there would be nobody taking a shot at Kiara through a window. All of them had been sealed off, and no one was to go in or out. Kiara would be up with Simba on stage, right at his and Kovu's side. She was going to be fine right? Simba's head was clouded with 'what if' thoughts, and he tried to shake them off. But when he did, they went back to 'Kopa'. He had received the DNA test results that morning and they had confirmed his suspicions. He had a son. As they drove towards the city square, Simba pulled out the letter he had written to Kopa and sighed. It was marked: _Lieutenant Palladino. _He didn't now how to tell Kopa, and it seemed this was the best way to do it. He needed to tell him before the day was through.

Eventually, they reached the crowded city square and drove through the streets, which had several hundred solemn people packed on either side of the road. They held candles and stood quietly; in memorial to all those who died in Shenzi's vicious airport massacre. Simba felt tears come on as he saw them, he had so much stress on him lately. He needed to deal with a terrorist insurgency that could blow up his entire capital city at the touch of a button, he needed to protect his daughter from the threats of HYENA and now he had a son. That was a little too much for one man in one week.

The car pulled to a halt behind the immense stage in the city square, and a man pulled open Simba's door. Simba got out silently and slowly walked up to the stage, but was stopped by another man.

"Sir..." He said and opened a briefcase. Inside was the .50 caliber Desert Eagle pistol that Simba owned and was his weapon of choice. He just hoped that he hadn't gotten too old to handle the recoil and power.

"Thank you." Simba said and slipped the huge, silver pistol into his jacket.

He then made his way over to the stage, flanked by four security guards. He waited behind the stage anxiously for several minutes until finally an armored, black van pulled up next to the mass of security cars. Two fully armed and outfitted Delta-Four soldiers opened the back doors and Nala, Kiara and Kovu emerged. Kovu had one arm around Kiara and looked around him, paranoid. He scanned the rooftops and windows of the buildings surrounding the square and saw nothing. The area had been secured like promised, but he still felt terrible, like something was going to happen to Kiara if he turned his head for so much as a second. He would never let anything happen to Kiara, or her unborn baby, and he would gladly take a bullet to stop anything from happening.

Simba was relieved to see his family was safe, but expected more news. Kopa approached him and Simba sighed. His boy...a man. A good man, and a strong one. He felt like bursting into tears and hugging his long lost son, but he knew he couldn't do that. Kopa sighed and gave him the report.

"Sir...All the surrounding building have been sealed off and patrolled, every guest to the service has been searched and there is no sign of any radioactivity. So there is no nuke here." Kopa reported and Simba put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good work. Now what of Agent Dion and his guys?" Simba asked him.

"He's got several units posted to different buildings around the block. No one's allowed in or out. At 11:55 they are going to sweep each building just to be sure." Kopa told him and forced Simba's hand off of his shoulder.

Kopa knew that he was his King and leader, but why did act so embarrassing towards him? It wasn't like he was a child or anything, and that was Simba almost treated him like. For some reason Simba seemed to like him more than anyone else in PI1, and that bothered Kopa. He hated favoritism, even if he was the one receiving it. Kopa tapped his foot and awaited 11:55 nervously. The princess's life rested in his and Agent Dion's hands.

_11:49_

Simba could hear the service begin on the streets. He heard ceremonial bagpipe players lead the solemn parade, followed by band members drumming a slow beat followed by the rows of white coffins carried by men in suits. The memorial ceremony had begun. And it wasn't long before HYENA were expected to fulfill their evil threat. He peeked through the stage curtains and saw the parade commence. People gently waved their candles in respect to the civilians that died that awful day.

_11:52_

The parade continued on and was about to finish; Simba felt butterflies in his stomach now. Now was make or break time, now was the five minutes that would determine his daughter's fate. He felt like he could trust nobody, and that only made the feeling worse, like Kiara and her baby's death was inevitable. He would_ not _let that happen. The choir in front of the stage had started singing a slow, sorrowful song and he bit his lip. He was going to be called up on stage to say his speech any minute now, but he didn't want to turn his head from Kiara.

_11:55_

Kopa saw the minute hand click over on his watch and he drew his radio. This was it, they would either stop the assassination attempt or confirm it was all a bluff. He lifted the radio up to his mouth and pressed the button on the side.

"Initiate Sweep." Were the only words he needed to say.

Meanwhile, Agent Haradion got the message and rallied his SWAT team. He nodded and put the radio away before turning to his men.

"Okay fells let's go! I want safety switches off and if you so much as see anything move...you shoot it, understood?" Haradion called out and his men shouted out in response.

"SHOOTING TO KILL SIR!" They all yelled out in unison and Dion nodded his approval, they could take no chances here. They needed to kill any human being that was in those buildings, if there even was any. The buildings had been sealed off and the only people that could've gotten in were HYENA operatives that had somehow infiltrated them.

Dion kicked down the door and led his team in. They flicked their rifles around in all directions (not electric this time, as they had learnt from their last experience) and stormed the corridors of the building one floor at a time. They did so swiftly and professionally. They checked room after room, and floor after floor. Soon they had managed to cover the entire building without finding anyone. Haradion exhaled in relief and radioed his other units.

"All clear on building three. Building one what's your status?" He asked.

"All clear." The unit leader that stormed 'building one' responded.

"Building Two?"

"All clear sir."

"Building Four?"

"Clear."

"Building five?" Haradion asked, to no response. He tried again and again to contact them, but they wouldn't reply.

"Building five do you read me?" _Oh no... _Haradion thought. Without saying a word, he cocked his pistol and started sprinting down the metal staircase on the side of the building. His troops followed him without question. They knew what was happening.

Haradion radioed Kopa as he ran.

"DO NOT LET KIARA ON STAGE! I've lost contact with the squad sent to building five." He reported through pants and Kopa got the message.

He tapped Simba on the shoulder and nodded with a frightened expression. Simba knew what he meant and instantly ushered his family back into the armored van. HYENA had stayed true to their promise yet again, but what could Haradion and his SWAT team do about it?

_11:58_

Haradion and his squad had tirelessly sprinted up building five and the team sent there was nowhere to be seen. They stormed floor after floor like they had in their own building, and they soon reached the fifteenth floor.

As soon as they stepped off the staircase, Dion knew things were different. He could smell the foul stench of blood and he felt extremely alarmed as he cautiously led his men inside. He felt his stomach churn when he saw what lay in the next room.

All of the members of Team Five were dead and their bodies were splayed out across the floor in an unorganized fashion. Pools of blood lay beneath each body and Haradion stepped through them silently. Whoever had come in this building sure hadn't expected anyone to come after them. He heard and felt wind blow through a window and the sound of it was hauntingly eerie. Dion tiptoed through the corridors followed by his team until they reached the room where the wind was coming from. Wind meant...an open window. A window that overlooked the stage.

Dion poked his head around the corner and sure enough, he saw a man in a blood-stained shirt kneeling next to the open window. As Dion looked on further he saw the sniper rifle the man pointed out the window, awaiting his prey. _This is the real deal. _Haradion thought before losing his cool. He had seen these guys take so many lives (many innocent) and now they felt that they could try and take Kiara's life. Not on his watch. Dion pulled the hammer back on his Glock pistol and snarled.

He then leapt around the corner with no regard for his own safety and opened fire on the would be assailant.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Dion shouted in rage and the assassin's eyes opened wide with horror. He had been found out.

_BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!_

Haradion emptied the entire pistol magazine into the sniper's chest and he slumped back onto the ground; dead. Haradion stood there stunned for a second but soon composed himself and blew the smoke from the barrel of the pistol. He had done it. The danger had now passed; he had successfully thwarted an attempt on the princess's life. His men appeared from behind him and started applauding what they had just seen. Haradion put his hand up to silence them and drew his radio.

"Kopa this is Haradion. Team five is all KIA but the danger is passed. One hostile sniper KIA too, courtesy of us. You're free to carry on with the ceremony now." Dion reported happily. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or overjoyed.

Kopa got the message and exhaled deeply. Simba caught the action and wiped the sweat from his forehead. That had been too close. Had the gone out on stage earlier, Kiara would be dead. Simba tapped his family on the shoulders and gestured for them to go up on stage now. It was safe at last.

Simba slipped on his hat and made his way up the stairs and onto the stage. Before he walked out in everyone's view, he took one last look at his beloved daughter behind him. He couldn't imagine how difficult it must be for her, as she was pregnant. She smiled warmly and Simba gave her the thumbs up as they walked out on stage together, with a renewed sense of security. When he entered public view, he was met with applause, not cheers. His own people had lost faith in him after the events of the past week. And he couldn't blame them. Kiara and Kovu stood roughly ten meters away from him as he cleared his throat and started his speech.

"I welcome all those who have come along and thank you. We are gathered here today to pay our respects to the victims of a terrible tragedy earlier this week. A few days ago, a group of evil gunmen stormed the Prideland International Airport, taking many innocent lives. Out thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those who died in that horrific event." Simba spoke to the massive crowd, with his family up on stage and feeling the safest they did in a while.

_Back at building five_

Haradion inspected the body of the assassin he had just killed. He felt like spitting on it, but knew better than that. He saw the large HYENA emblem tattooed onto his arm and frowned. He then picked up his rifle and what he saw made him shiver:

_The magazine was empty. _Haradion gasped and saw that someone had left a note for him inside the barrel of the rifle. He yanked it out and read it.

_You left your front door open. _Haradion gasped, they had planned this all along. This man that he had just killed was never meant to kill Kiara. He was just a decoy, and the real shooter was in 'building three' that Haradion had just abandoned. It all started to make sense now, and Haradion froze in horror for a moment. He the scooped up his gun again and ran towards the door.

"IT WAS A DECOY!"

_12:00_

Simba finished his speech on stage and everyone clapped, including Kovu. He was impressed with his father in law's ability to publicly speak. He was also so glad that Kiara was safe now. Kovu held her tight and then let go as Simba waved to his audience. Then it happened.

His vision blurred again, and the evil whispering in his ears commenced. _Now...it happens now...now...at long last...now. _The satanic voice of Scar hissed in his head and it began to throb. Kovu groaned and closed his eyes, trying to shake of the visions and voices. But that didn't help. He saw the most disturbing things ever, bullets flying...screams. Screams of a woman. Kiara. He forced his eyes open and panted. The last vision he had like that had come true, and he wasn't about to let that happen again.

_Meanwhile..._

The sniper, the true shooter zoomed in his prey through the scope of a rifle. The crosshairs panned across the stage, before he stopped on his designated target. He smiled as he aimed and zoomed in further on Kiara's head. He was impressed with Shenzi's plan that had worker flawlessly. PI1 had let their guard down yet again like she had foreseen, and it was about to cost them.

He then changed his aim on Kiara, so that the crosshairs weren't aligned over her head, but her stomach. He was about to kill two birds with one stone.

His fingers slowly slipped down the rifle and onto the trigger...

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**How's that for a cliffhanger? I'm not going to ruin what happens next but one person already knows and if that one person could refrain from revealing in the reviews (I'm kiddin ya, you're smarter than that?) that would be much appreciated. Shit's gotten intense now and I hope you've enjoyed it. Don't forget to review!**


	20. A Father's Love

**So this is the chapter where everything happens. WARNING: Very sad. And some of you thought it was 'sick' to write about Kiara being assassinated, but seriously? It's a story, my characters are the ones doing it not me. And you'll be surprised about Kiara. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 19. A FATHER'S LOVE**

_12:00_

Kovu's head and heart pounded, something was very, very wrong. The voices inside his head were excited, like they were up to something. They hissed in evilly happy tones and scolded him, but were pleased with something else...Something far more evil than he could ever have imagined. The voices started to overwhelm him, and he started his way off the stage with his head in his hands; throbbing.

Just as he went, he took one last look at Kiara by herself on stage; giving him the _please don't leave me by myself _look. Kovu shook his head and he heard her sigh as he left the stage. He felt fine to leave Kiara by herself now, as the assassin had been shot right? He would never leave her in danger. But this only triggered more visions. The screams of Kiara, the gunshots, the laughs and the voices congratulating the killer. Kovu dropped to his knees and panted while holding his head in his hands. Kopa (Who was on security back stage) saw him and rushed up over to help him. Kovu growled at him through clenched teeth.

"Get...away...from...me." He groaned and Kopa halted. The evil within was trying to unsuccessfully get a hold of him again.

His vision blurred and his hearing faded. All he could hear was the ambience of the crowd outside and something else...A rifle being cocked. _Cla-Chik! _Even though the sound broke out hundreds of meters away Kovu could hear it like it was right next to his head. _No...Please no... _Kovu's gaze was then drawn to a distant building at the back of the square, and up to the fifteenth window. His vision then came into focus, and his heart, stomach, and soul sank when he saw what he saw. The silhouette of a crouched man with a sniper rifle, pointed at the stage.

"NOOOO!" He yelled out and pointed a finger up at the window.

Meanwhile, Simba had finished his speech and when he heard Kovu scream, he rolled his eyes and looked at his shaken son-in-law. He finger was pointed to a building at the edge of the square. Simba looked out at it, then his sixth sense kicked in. Something was going to happen, but he couldn't let it. The 'sixth sense' drew him to a window on the fifteenth floor, and he saw it. He flicked his head around in terror to look at his beloved daughter who stood on stage with him, unbothered and unaware. _Oh god...Please don't take her...please don't take her... _Simba thought hopelessly. It was then he was possessed by some instinct he didn't know he had, one that was fueled by the love of a father for his daughter. A power that would humble both Kings and scum alike...The power _was _love. Anything that would insure Kiara and her baby's safety he would do; whatever the cost. He charged towards Kiara at a lightening speed.

_Meanwhile, in the assassin's window_

The sniper held his breath and steadied the crosshairs over Kiara's stomach. One shot...Two kills. He could hear Agent Dion and his SWAT team rushing up the stairs to stop him, but they would be too late. He tightened his grip in the trigger and took his shot. A shot to bring one of the most powerful monarchies on the planet to its knees, a shot that would forever torment the father of the victim.

The sights were lined up and he fired...

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

Kovu had heard the shots and rushed out to Kiara, but he was far too late. His decision to leave the stage might have just cost him his wife and son's life. He screamed out in anguish at an imaginably loud and blood-curdling volume. He had failed her.

Back in the stairwell of 'building three' Haradion and his squad had heard the shots and were terrified. Haradion felt tears stream down his face as he ran and shouted out in sorrowful rage.

"NO!"

At the last second, Kiara saw the sniper and flinched; waiting for the burning hot bullets to penetrate her body and put her out of all the fear she had lived in for the last few weeks. She knew there was no escape for her now, and closed her eyes; expecting to open them and find she was in a happier place. The pain never came. She then heard a loud _THUD _on the wooden floorboards in front of her, followed by a cry of pain.

Kovu rushed up towards the stage, expecting any second to see Kiara on the floor with a bullet-hole in her head. But he never saw that. He recovered from his scream of anguish, and looked up to see Simba.

The King, despite his age soared through the air like an eagle, and dived right in front of Kiara. He crossed right in front of her just as the bullets neared, and within seconds...they both smashed into his front. Simba seemed to fall in slow motion, not just for Kovu but for everyone. Kovu saw each and every visible part of Simba's body jolt backwards with impact. As Simba hit the floor, the whole earth seemed to shake. A giant truly had fallen.

_Back in 'building three' _

The sniper saw his shots had been intercepted and growled in frustration. He only had seconds before Haradion and his SWAT knocked down his door and killed him, so he hurriedly re-aimed his rifle. But he was too late.

An infuriated Haradion smashed through the door and leveled the UMP-9 Sub-machine gun at his head. Haradion screamed in rage as he pulled the trigger. _TATATATATATATANG! _Once the assassin was dead, he collapsed down onto his knees and burst into tears. He had failed his country.

The crowd burst into screams at the sound of the assassin's shots and scattered into panic. Kiara however, stood up on stage unscathed and opened her eyes. _What the hell happened? _He looked around, then she looked down at her feet...

A bloodied Simba lay there, with two bullet-holes in his chest and blood poring out his mouth. Kiara gasped and fell to her knees beside her father. She panted in fear and called out furiously. Meanwhile, Simba groaned in pain even though he couldn't feel any of it. He had succeeded.

"GONZO GET OVER HERE NOW!" Kiara screamed out and instantly the doctor came rushing up the stairs with his black briefcase. Gonzo sprinted over to them and opened his briefcase, revealing many medical supplies.

He knelt beside Simba and got to work immediately, forcing his trembling hands back while he attempted to stop the bleeding from the bullet wounds. Kovu finally managed to compose himself and joined the group of people kneeling around the mortally wounded Simba. Kopa followed him out and assisted Doctor Gonzo.

Gonzo jabbed a morphine shot into Simba's arm and pressed down on the larger bullet wound with hand, hoping to clog the vessel to stop the bleeding. Simba howled in pain and Gonzo flinched as he felt his King's warm blood lap around his hands. He knew Simba was doomed. The morphine however, seemed to relax Simba and he managed to get a few words in.

"Kiara...A-are you o-okay?" He stuttered as he bled out.

"Yes dad! I'm fine! But look at you!" Kiara said with teary eyes as she knelt over him.

"N-never mind me...I did w-what I needed to." Simba breathed and winced in pain again as Gonzo hopelessly tried to save him.

"_Sheizer..._ I can't stop the bleeding..." Gonzo said through clenched teeth.

Kiara looked at Gonzo in horror and he shook his head sadly. Simba didn't seem affected by the comment, as if expected it. Kiara felt the tears stream down her face and she shook Gonzo violently.

"YOU HAVE TO SAVE HIM!" She shrieked at Gonzo but he sighed and tears developed in the corner of his eyes.

"I cannot do anything more than what I have...I'm sorry." Gonzo told her calmly and Kiara looked up at the sky and sobbed. But Simba's cold, trembling hand grabbed hers and regained her attention.

"Kiara...P-please don't cry. I'll always be here with you, no matter what happens." Simba said with teary eyes and Kiara forced his trembling hand onto her rounded belly.

"B-but daddy...You need to see your grandson...You can't leave me!" Kiara sobbed and felt the trembling of Simba's hand start to decrease in frequency.

"I w-will see him Kiara...In time." Simba assured her and used whatever energy he had left in him to move his hand up on Kiara's face. He put his hand on her cheek and wiped away the tear marks.

"Y-you're so beautiful..." He said to her and smiled. Kiara cried again and held his cold hand in hers tightly.

"No dad...don't...please!" She begged him, but Simba couldn't do anything about it.

"Promise me you'll make a good queen, and say hi to my grandson for me." Simba requested by Kiara shook her head and knelt down so that she was only inches away from her father's face.

"No dad you'll say hi to him yourself! Come on...Stay with me!" She pleaded in a croaky voice, but Simba's hand started to slip out of hers.

Simba then used his remaining strength to lean forwards a few inches and kiss his daughter on the forehead one final time.

"R-remember...You'll always be my baby girl. I-I love you Kiara..." Simba panted one last time and his hand slipped out of hers; flopping to the ground beside him.

Kiara shook him hopelessly, and felt his pulse die down...and eventually disappear. She looked into her smiling father's eyes, and saw them dilate. The burning tears streamed down her face, and she screamed out in anguish. Kopa, Kovu and Gonzo started to tear up as well.

Simba's final thought on earth before he died right there was: _One man dies...His daughter and grandson live. That's a fair trade. _Simba's thoughts then went blank and his vision black. Kiara embraced his lifeless body on the floor and sobbed into his bloodied chest.

_**(Lion King 'This Land' Death Theme)**_

All of the civilians that hadn't run away for panicked had seen the whole thing. The panicked noise ceased and the whole city went silent. They then extinguished all the candles they had lit, signifying the end of a great light in the Pridelands' history. In the last week, they had all accused Simba of cowardice for not acting on the HYENA threat. Now they had been corrected, they had just seen the courage of Simba first hand and the love had had for his daughter. Nothing was more powerful than a father's love.

After sobbing on Simba's lifeless body for several minutes, Kiara finally got up and composed herself. She wiped the tear marks off her father's face and pulled away from him. Gonzo then leant forward and pulled Simba's eyelids shut. A light then penetrated through the clouds above them...and shone on the body of Simba. He was with father once more.

Kopa and Kovu then lifted the body of Simba onto their shoulders and started off the stage, and into the crowd. They all silently backed away and made a clear path for them to walk through. Nobody said a word as the body of the bravest leader the world has seen passed them. Simba had just given his life to save those he loved.

_Kiara, I know you may be sad right now._

_I know you may be confused, angry or scared._

_But I want you to know, I will always be there to guide you, even if I have to do it while I'm among the great kings._

_I know we've had some rough times; we've fought, argued and disagreed on many things._

_But as I die for you on the ground... I want you to know that from the moment I first held you in my arms, from that first ride in my car, from that time you wandered into the Outlander Zone, from the day you met Kovu, the day we fought, and your wedding day..._

_Your daddy has always loved you._

_And you will always be my baby girl, no matter where I am._

_Love Dad._

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**How was it? Sad enough? Caught you off guard didn't I? Kiara was never going to be killed. Don't forget to review!**


	21. The Letter

**Hey guys, this is an epically long chapter. Huge thanks to a certain user who knows who they are for helping me with letter, there are a few minor changes. I know the last chapter got to a few of you (I'm not cruel, I know what I'm doing.), but it is vital to the story. In this chapter we see what becomes of that letter Simba wrote. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 20. THE LETTER**

_Day after Simba's 'assassination'_

Carl Santiago twiddled his thumbs impatiently and sweated. Any second Shenzi was going to come through the door, and he would get the full details of his failure. He had been the one that Shenzi had plan the assassination attempt on Kiara, and it had backfired on him. Kiara lived, the two snipers sent to complete the task had been killed, and he had made a martyr out of Simba. Everything they didn't want to happen had happened. Simba was meant to live so that Kiara's death would destroy him mentally, and he would be seen in the eyes of the Pridelands as weak and incapable of leading. But now he was seen a selfless hero, that had given his life.

Santiago could hear footsteps coming from down the hall and he gulped; he could only hope that Shenzi would come through the door rather than Heckler. Almost everyone in the entire HYENA camp feared his wrath, even though Shenzi was technically in charge. Heckler was cruel and unforgiving, and for a mistake of his magnitude, it would be a slow painful death. But sure enough, Shenzi appeared in the doorway, with an enraged expression on her face.

"YOU IDIOT!" Shenzi thundered and struck him hard in the face,

"Do you have any idea what you've cost us?" She continued angrily as Santiago wiped the blood off of his lip.

"It wasn't my fault...The plan was flawless...If I had known that Simba..." Santiago stuttered in fear and Shenzi struck him again.

"Don't mention that filthy name again! Of course he was going to jump in front of the shots you idiot! How did you not foresee that? He's just another fuckin' martyr now." Shenzi rambled on as Santiago trembled in fear.

"Well...I...I didn't..." Santiago mumbled but Shenzi cut him off.

"SHUT UP!" It was official now; Santiago had screwed up big time.

Shenzi took a deep breath and composed herself while Santiago trembled at the thought of his punishment. Then he heard the chilling sound. The chilling sound of more footsteps coming down the hallway, and someone muttering angrily to themselves in German. Santiago's eyes opened wide in terror and he looked up at Shenzi, who seemed to take pity on him.

"Here...I'd take that shot if I were you. Heckler ain't as forgiving as I am." Shenzi said and placed a revolver with one bullet inside on his lap. Santiago nodded compliantly. He would rather shoot himself that feel the wrath of Heckler.

Shenzi exited the room just as the shot rang out, and the sound of Santiago slumping dead onto the floor. She met Heckler in the corridor and told him:

"Don't bother."

Heckler nodded and turned away from her, and back down the corridor. Shenzi shook her head sadly and rejoined her men down in their underground barracks. They were all suiting up for their next assignment; takeover. That night, they would all storm Prideland City when the country was at its weakest now they were without a leader. It wouldn't go quite as planned now that Simba was dead, but they could still pull it off. They would take control of high profile locations, such as stock exchanges, embassies, phone towers and other places that were vital to the country. They were brining it to its knees slowly. Most of the equipment had already been prepared for the 'invasion' and they were pretty much ready to roll. Now was the time when the Constitutional Monarchy fell...and anarchy rose.

_Back at Kopa's apartment_

Kopa sat on his bed silently, with bloodshot eyes and tear marks lining his face. He failed everyone, he had failed the country, the royal family, Simba and himself. He had promised that after the airport massacred he would never let something like that happen again, and it did. Simba was gone now, and he felt it was his fault. His last memory with Simba wasn't a good one either, he had practically insulted the man.

Simba had put a hand on his shoulder and given him a fatherly smile, and he shook it off rudely, and the memory haunted him. Now that Simba was dead, he also felt strangely that part of him was dead too. Simba had no connection to him except that he favored him a little right? The next few minutes would tell him otherwise. A knock came from his door, and Kopa slowly dried his eyes and got up to open it. Vitani stood there, with a solemn expression and an envelope in her hands.

"Hey...Mind if I come in?" She asked politely.

"Sure." Kopa was happy how they had turned out. When they first met it had been all hostilities, and now they were good friends, even though Kopa believed it was something more.

Vitani took a seat on his sofa and fiddled with the envelope in her hands. Kopa joined her and sighed.

"What can I do for you 'Tani?" He asked gently.

"I just came to check up on you. You seemed to take it pretty hard and I wanted to see if you were okay." She said and looked at the floor, away from him. There was no embarrassment in her tone.

"Well don't mind me, I'm fine. How's Kiara?" Kopa lied. He was finding it hard to hide every emotion he felt. Vitani knew deep down he was far from fine.

"She's doing good. Been a really stressful week for her, I hope the baby's okay." Vitani replied and looked at her letter.

"By the way...we found this in Simba's pocket. It was addressed to you." Vitani said and handed Kopa the envelope, which had a dried bloodstain on the back. He read the front, which said: _Lieutenant Conner Palladino. _Kopa raised an eyebrow and opened it. Inside, a message was written in messy blue ink.

_Conner 'Kopa' Palladino._

_This is not an easy thing I do now. Writing out these words for you to read. I am ashamed to admit it, but I don't think I can bring myself to say them in person, and if you're reading these then I have certainly been unable to._

_I must ask you forgiveness for this, but hopefully you will understand why._

_For you this may be a history lesson, so I beg that you please have some patience with me._

_Along time ago, when I was just a child, I was caught up in events beyond my control. In the very square that in a few hours from now I will hold a speech, I stood there. And although at the time I did not know it, I watched my father die, murdered by his brother. I fled the scene, out of fear not for my life. I was deceived by my treacherous uncle into taking the blame for his death, and to my eternal shame I did not remain, to face judgment, or to await my fate. I ran. Out of the city, out of country where I buried my cowardice left my old life behind me. While I fled and lived, the Pridelands burnt under Scar's regime. Whilst I lived out a separate life in exile trying to forget my past._

_But his is what is not commonly known. I lived out a separate life under an false name. The name was 'Gaz Wallcroft'_

At first Kopa wondered what the hell the King was on about, but he continued reading. He felt that Simba was anything but the coward that he described himself as, and he had seen it first hand.

_In this time I met a wonderful woman, who filled a whole in my heart that had existed since I left. That woman was called Alyssa Palladino. And although at the time I didn't know it, we conceived a son. That son is you Kopa._

The sudden revelation stung Kopa to the core. He was the one. That was why he felt such a strong connection to Simba, and was why Simba seemed to favor and trust him so much. Tears burned Kopa's eyes, he had for years dreamed of finding his father, and as it had turned out he was right there with him the whole time. And his mother had been right; his father was a great man. Kopa didn't know whether to be angry that this had been kept for him for so long, or sad that he was sure his father was dead. Either way it made him feel terrible. Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes as he read, and they streamed down his cheeks. Vitani noticed and put an arm around him.

_Please understand I have not kept this from you deliberately. I am only made aware of this as I am writing this to you. This is why I cannot bring myself to tell you face to face. You are the son of a king. Once again it seems I am to show my cowardice. I do not know why your mother kept this from me, and I can only assume she kept it from you as well. If you knew the whole time, then I am fool, but I doubt it. I am sure she had her reasons, as I had mine._

_I expect you think I walked out on you and left you. And you would be right. I left Alyssa Palladino when Nala came back and my old life came crashing down. She understood, and I beg that you do the same. Scar was overthrown; Zira's rebellion put down, and still I knew nothing of you. I can only imagine Alyssa's feelings every time she saw me on television. When I retook the Pridelands. When I married Nala and when Kiara was born. _

_I hope she found love again._

_And now Conner, you are faced with a choice. I imagine that as you read this you have come to hate me. To despise me, to find out the father who left you is the man you have known for what feels like an age. I am sorry Kopa. As I said you are faced with a choice. I imagine you hate me. You would be well with in your rights to do so, and I am sorry if this is the case._

_You can stay here, as an Agent of PI1, working to protect the lives of countless civilians, and today of all days, the life of your sister. Against people like Scar and Zira. Against Shenzi and her HYENA. Against people who set the world a flame. They are dangerous, more so than any I have ever encountered. We were so wrong to assume they were just mere crooks, petty criminals and thugs. They are something new. And I am not sure we can hold back this Shadow for much longer. So that is your first Option. You can stand by me, by your friends and by your family to face this threat._

_Or you can do as I did all those years ago. You can run from the past, to find a new life and live it out in peace, free of your worries and responsibilities. There is no shame in that path. You don't owe me anything; you don't have any oath or bond swearing you to this nation. I have wronged you in so many ways, and I would not be surprised if you took this opportunity to turn your back on me as I did to you and your mother all those years ago. _

In reality he knew Simba hadn't turned his back on him, but was kept from the truth like him. He knew that if Simba had known, he would have done the right thing and cared for him like the man he was.

_Both options are before you, and but for my own cowardice I would tell you this face to face. I cannot bring my self to._

_Whatever choice you make, please, remember these two things._

_Your friends are by you Kopa. Just as Timon, Pumba, Nala and Weaver stood by me all those years before, Kovu, Vitani, Dion, EJ and Lorenzo will stand by you against this threat. Never forget you friends. Because when evil rises, no man can hope to face it alone. He was never meant to._

_Remember also that nothing I did was ever intended to hurt you or to bring pain to you or Alyssa. The damage I did is now one of the biggest regrets of my life, and for that I am truly sorry. I can ask you only for your forgiveness._

_Now I have explained my actions, it is up to you Kopa to make your decision. I will not judge you, command you to make any decision other than the one that your heart and mind tell you is the right one. Conner Taylor. Where we go from here is up to you._

_Whatever you decide, just remember one thing. You are my son, and I love you more than the air I breathe. And I am very proud of the man you have become. _

_Your Father, King Simba Taylor. _

As Kopa finished the letter he felt it slip out of his hands and float to the floor. The tears burnt his face like acid and he put his head in his hands. He didn't even get to say goodbye to Simba, and now he was gone. For good. He held his face in his hands and sobbed quietly as Vitani hopelessly tried to comfort him.

"No...no...no...no...My fault...my...fault...didn't even get to say goodbye." Kopa whined through sobs. This was the first time he had ever broken down emotionally.

"It wasn't your fault. He left too soon and no one got to say bye." Vitani reassured him. But Kopa looked up at her with teary eyes and revealed the truth.

"No...you don't understand...he was my father!" He blurted out and Vitani opened her eyes wide in shock. But she could tell he wasn't lying. He was the splitting image of Simba.

"My whole damn family is dead! My mom...dead! My father...dead!" Kopa whimpered and Vitani grabbed his arm.

"Your family is NOT dead Kopa. You have Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Dion, Timon and Pumbaa. They are your family and will always be there for you." She told him and held his hand before looking into his bloodshot eyes sincerely.

"And you have me Kopa. You will always have me." Vitani said and closed her eyes slowly.

Kopa sniffled and leant towards her. When his lips met hers, it was like he was whole again. Her warm, soft lips seemed to flush out the pain of Simba's death and all that had happened. Vitani had always made him feel better. He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes before putting his hands on her cheeks and kissing her again. They had waited too long to express their hidden love for each other, and it was only in these moments of grief that they let it out. Kopa was tired of playing the macho/hothead cop, and Vitani was fed up with the 'bad-girl' ex-Outlander that she presented herself as.

They saw through each other, and that was why their understanding of each other was so great. As they kissed, Vitani ran her hands down Kopa's face and eventually his shirt. He moaned and slowly pulled Vitani's red headband off with one hand and unzipped her jacket with the other.

All of a sudden they had become completely unaware of the terrible world around them and enjoyed each other in the silence of Kopa's apartment. The death of Simba and the airport massacre seemed like distant memories as they expressed their love for each other. The world around Kopa seemed to fade as the day progressed.

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**How was it? Don't forget to review!**


	22. Takeover

**This is the start of the end, and from here things will seem pretty bad for our heroes. In this chapter I've included Pride rock as an actual location, as a huge rock formation like the one in the movie except this is a tourist attraction for the country instead of an actual lair. By the way I made profiles for all my OCs and they're on my profile page. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 21. TAKEOVER**

Shenzi stuck her head out the side of the armored truck, enjoying the breeze as they drove. Everybody within her task force was completely casual, they didn't even bother wearing proper armor. Just casual shirts with a few ammo belts messily put on over the top. This was going to be so easy that proper armor wasn't even necessary. They were going to snatch the Pridelands from right from the monarchy. Herself and her task force would set up a perimeter around the palace, so that nobody could get in or out. Meanwhile, Ed would lead his task force to secure the PSX (Prideland Stock Exchange), the beating heart of the Pridelands' economy. And Banzai would lead his team to take the Pride Rock national park, once he was there he would plant the HYENA flag on the top of the Pridelands' most famous natural landmark: Pride Rock. This would show to the world the rise of HYENA.

And during this whole process the Pridelands couldn't fight back. Why? They had a nuke, a nuke filled with the most horrific hallucinogen ever created. Nala (Who had taken control of the country) wouldn't dare make a move against them; she was not as bold as Simba and knew they weren't bluffing. The detonator to the bomb was with Shenzi's personal inside man. Their plan had finally come together- even though they hadn't planned on Simba's death. But Shenzi was starting to see that as more than a blessing than a curse. It just spread her primary objective; _fear._

The truck slowed to a stop and Shenzi called out to her troops in the back of the truck.

"Okay guys this is the real deal. Lock and load!" And everyone complied; several clicking sounds of weapons being loaded rang out from the back of the truck.

The truck rolled up to the Palace security booth and the driver rolled down his window to see the bureaucratic guard in the booth waiting for him with a nervous expression. The guard didn't want to mess up this time, he had already embarrassed himself when he denied Kopa entry.

"Let's see some ID." The guard said and the HYENA driver sighed. He reached into his back pocket as if he was searching for ID but instead of pulling out a pass, he pulled out a silenced pistol.

The guard gasped in fear, realizing what was going on but was dead before he managed to hit the alarm button. The driver blew the smoke off of his pistol and crashed through the security gate. This triggered alarms everywhere and sure enough, a group of security guards rushed up to their truck; with pistols bared.

"GET OUT OF THE TRUCK NOW! You have ten seconds to comply before we open fire." The lead guard said but Shenzi just laughed. She then snapped her fingers and one of her troops jumped on top of the truck, and revealed a huge Browning M2 machine gun mounted there. The HYENA operative didn't hesitate.

_DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DANG!_

The group of cocky guards were reduced to a pile of smoking flesh within seconds. Any other guards or soldiers that happened to come across the vicious HYENA task force received the same treatment. Shenzi and her casual force stormed the outskirts of the palace, killing any armed person. They were careful to leave civilians alive this time, as they were perfect hostages. More and more HYENA trucks poured through the smashed security gate and the troops took their position in their perimeter around the palace.

Soon the entire palace was cut off, courtesy of Shenzi. The royal family was now trapped inside, and she could do whatever she wanted with them.

_At Pride Rock national park_

Banzai sat in the front seat of his van as his convoy sped closer and closer to the famous rock formation that was half of the Pridelands' tourism industry: Pride Rock. A HYENA flag on top of it would be a symbol of defeat to the rest of the country. The car bounced about on the dusty savannah trail and Banzai did his best not to be sick. The ride was rough, and he had found it weird to be out of the city and into the wilderness for a change.

They swiftly approached the massive rock formation's climbing tours office and stopped the van right outside where it said 'no parking'. But they were practically in charge now so the ignored it. Banzai's men didn't even need to be told to ready their weapons, and they all followed their leader into the relatively quiet tours office. They shoved everyone in the line out of the way, and they didn't protest when they saw the guns and HYENA armbands.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked Banzai politely, unaware of his weapons.

"Pride Rock deluxe climbing package for twenty-four please." Banzai replied, playing along.

"I'm sorry that needs to be booked in advance. And due to safety concerns we only allow five people at a time. You need to pre-pay..." The woman was cut off when Banzai revealed to her his assault rifle.

"This is my booking. A FN2000 Tactical Assault Rifle."

She opened her mouth, about to scream but the stock of Banzai's rifle slammed into her jaw, knocking her out. The bystanders didn't dare say a word as Banzai took the receptionist's keys and led his men out the door and up the massive rock formation without helmets and a tour guide.

When they finally reached the top, Banzai saw the beautiful view that stretched out in front of him. All grasslands, paradise untouched by man...so far. He could also see the tourism office down at the bottom of the rock and several people looking up at them. It was sunset, a sun was setting on the pathetic Constitutional Monarchy and would rise with a anarchy.

The wind seemed so much stronger at the top of Pride Rock, and Banzai felt a little on edge next to such a huge drop. But the wind would only serve his cause good. He nodded and one of his men marched up to the edge, with a flag pole in hand.

He stabbed it into the rock and the black flag with the red silhouette of a Hyena blew in the breeze, for all to see. Banzai could hear the faint gasps of all the people below him. When his men saw the flag flying they cheered.

"U-RAGH!" They shouted and pumped their fists into the air.

Banzai then had them set up a perimeter around Pride Rock, for security and to further symbolize their control; control that the hopeless government had lost. This was all their years of planning coming together now; the Pridelands were almost theirs.

_Back at Kopa's apartment...only a few blocks down from the stock exchange_

Kopa woke in a fright, with his arms and legs wrapped around Vitani's warm body. He groaned and rubbed his head, wondering what had caused him to wake up. He checked time on his watch, which read: _5:28 pm. _Kopa shook his head and pulled himself off the couch. Vitani groaned as the warmth of his body left her. Kopa casually put on his shirt until the sounds broke out again: gunshots, police sirens, and screams.

Kopa gasped and rushed towards the window. Several police cars sped down the city road beneath them and took a right turn at the end of the block; towards the Stock exchange. _Oh Christ...They just can't get enough can they? _Kopa thought and hurried back to his room, where he quickly threw his clothes and shoulder holster on. He didn't even bother getting his police badge, as this was personal now. HYENA had killed his father, and they should expect to die. In his letter Simba had given him the choice of taking the easy path and letting the events happen, or taking a stand...and fighting.

When Kopa looked inside himself, he didn't see fear or cowardice. He saw fight, just like Simba had. And he promised himself that he would do whatever it took to redeem himself in Simba's eyes, even though he wasn't alive. Whatever it took, whatever the cost to bring HYENA to its knees, he would do it.

Vitani sat up on the couch and looked at Kopa with a worried expression.

"What's happening?" She asked him, and Kopa responded by tossing her his spare Glock 17...and her red headband.

"Stock exchange is in trouble. We're going to have something to say about that." Kopa said in an aggressive tone and Vitani growled her approval.

It was about time she got to let out her fighting ability. It was a side of her that she had bottled up since the collapse of the Outlanders, and now was the perfect time to let it out. A HYENA operative was no match for an ex-Outlander and a Prideland Intelligence Officer. But that was the problem, it wasn't just one HYENA operative, it was many. But that was a problem that they would have to work around.

Little did they know they almost nothing to fight for anymore. HYENA had control of the royal family and there was no contact with them. The country was now in their hands.

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**What do you think? Next chapter will be a bit more eventful, btw this story will be 30+ chapters. The profiles for a all my OCs are on my profile page. I've thought of an idea, everyone create themselves a character profile and leave it in the reviews. You can turn yourself into a character or you can come up with a one of your own. The small profile should include:**

**Name and Call-sign:**

**Gender: (Male in my case)**

**Rank: (Sergeant in my case)**

**Allegiance: (Could be Delta-Four, PI1, Prideland Marines, HYENA, Outlanders or any faction in my MHV series) I've chosen the Marines**

**Basic Appearance: (Whatever you want them to look like, in my case a well built man with black hair and beard)**

**Personality traits: (My one would be like a standard tough guy)**

**Equipment Of Choice: (Weapons, gadgets, vehicles ect.) **

**Personal theme music: (In my case it would be the riff from Back In Black)**

**Who their voice would sound like: **

**I'll see what you guys come up with and I'll actually use the one I think is best or most likable or suitable entry to be an actual character in the story (Haradion mate you've already got a character named after you). Have fun and don't forget to review your character!**


	23. Enemy Control

**This chapter is the kind of start of the revival, but it hasn't happened yet. Again, massive thanks to Haradion (The author, not the PI1 agent) for writing us a speech and most of the public speaking in this story will have been done by him. By the way, some great entries for the characters and I hope to see more. I'm finding it hard to decide which one. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 22. ENEMY CONTROL**

Kopa and Vitani carefully pushed through the crowd of screaming civilians fleeing the scene of the stock exchange attack. Kopa could hear the faint, chilling sounds of machine gun fire to gain the attention of the hostages trapped inside. Kopa snarled as he thought of those HYENA monsters, they had killed his father...and should expect to die. Kopa was definitely not one of those forgive and forget characters. He was like a bull, when something made him mad, he would charge at them relentlessly until his foe was destroyed. But this time it wouldn't be so easy, HYENA really knew what they were doing and had the Pridelands on the back foot for the first time in years. They had single handedly brought the country to it knees through the use of terror. But did they do it single-handedly? Kopa doubted it, they would had to have had an inside man that fed them intel, security passes and the nasty formula for E115. But he would have to worry about catching the 'traitor' later when HYENA itself was destroyed.

Kopa peered around the corner of the street and saw three HYENA operatives standing out the front of the stock exchange, with G36C rifles in hand. They sprayed shots into the air, signaling for any bystanders to get away immediately unless they wanted to get shot. HYENA now had control of the beating heart of the Pridelands' economy. They were in a world of hurt now.

Kopa growled under his breath and lowered his pistol. They wouldn't get in that way, not a hope in hell. He bit his lip and thought for a moment, how the hell would they get in now? He turned to Vitani and was about to ask for her advice, but suddenly a loud static sound broke out. On one of the huge mounted public TV stations, the breaking news channel fizzled out and was replaced by an image of someone standing in front of the camera that was recording the the thing. The person then backed away and revealed three people.

One was strapped to a chair, with a bag over their head, and the others were two HYENA operatives, both looking to be of a high rank. Kopa recognized the two HYENA operatives immediately: Shenzi and Banzai. He watched in shock as they began to speak to the world through their television. From the looks of it, they had hacked into a TV station and now that everyone that was viewing their channel across the globe would see what they were about to do. Crowds of people gathered from around the street to see the telecast.

_This thing on? Okay then...Let's get started._

"_Greetings ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Today's broadcast has been cut short for a special announcement. And if you value your continued existence, I suggest you listen well. I Am Shenzi Marie Goldberg, supreme leader of this organization before you. This statement is going live over all channels in the Pridelands, and streamed on air onto the internet even as we speak." _

Kopa felt an urge to draw his pistol and blast the area of the screen Shenzi was pacing in, but didn't want to draw attention to himself. This was just propaganda that wouldn't help his cause at all.

_For years we have lived under the shadow of the Lion. You believe that The Royal Family are Heroes? The royal family has oppressed and persecuted those under them for decades. Lets have a look at the most recent casualty of this ongoing battle. Simba Taylor was for many a war Hero, who freed The Pridelands from Scar's oppressive regime. But in reality, he hid for years, away from his responsibilities while people including myself suffered. He led an attack, which ultimately failed on Scar's HQ. And why did they succeed? Because Scar's bodyguard surrendered to the depleted rebel forces. They were succeeding, they were winning even. They threw their lot in with Simba Taylor betraying Scar's Communist government in the name of the moral high-ground, after Scar betrayed and murdered his own people._

Kopa shook his head and thought: _Thanks for the history lesson punk, get to the point. _There was now a crowd of thousands of people around the big screen now, interested.

_And what was you glorious leader's reaction? What did he do to those in Scar's regime who handed control of the city to him on a silver plate? He had them arrested on charges of War Crimes, and held indefinitely without trial or Jury. That is what he did to me. He exiled the remainder to scratch a living in the outland gulags under the psychotic lover of Scar, who wasted no time hunting down those who had turned on her lover for Simba's sake. Her Outland district was even worse than prison for most us. We were nearly made extinct. However, we met someone in our little stay in the Outland Detention Center, and they have helped us a lot._

_But this time, in this City. We have returned. Stronger and more tenacious than before. We are HYENA. We are hitting your exalted naive asses. We are the remnants of all those who have been crushed by the Royal family. We have brought down the King. We have seized Control of The Palace. We hold the life of the Royal Family in our hands._

Gasps broke out all throughout the crowd at the last announcement and Kopa gasped. They had caught them off guard again, and this time it would hurt them more than ever. He frantically picked up his mobile phone and punched in Nala's phone number, but she didn't reply. _Oh no... _

_They have stood by as we have brought the Pridelands to its knees. We have access to the world's most nasty lethal Chemical weapon, and we have an Nuclear Bomb underneath the City itself. At the touch of a button, The Pridelands will be engulfed in Light and Flame and Fear will spread like pus from a welt. And they have led you to this._

_Some of you will ignore this warning. Some of you will fight. Those of you will die. Marines, Police officers, Agents, Pilots and soldiers will be no match for us. Just give it up. _

_We currently sit at the heart of The Pridelands. _

_We need only move an inch to Rip It Out._

(Shenzi then proceeds to walk back to the person tied in a chair and tore the bag off of her head, revealing a beaten Nala)Almost everyone gasped this time, realizing that nobody could sleep safely now. There was no controlling body now, nothing to keep the order. The country would soon descend into fear and anarchy, without the help of E115. The Pridelands were finished. The government was dead, and so was its response force.

_This is your precious leader, and look at her. Weak. Just like her husband, all talk no show. This was the woman that supposedly brought an entire Outlander Force to their knees. Does this looks like that woman to you? Does it look like the Prideland Government has any form of control now?_ (In the background a cackled laugh breaks out)

_SHUT UP ED WE'RE ON LIVE TV! _(Shenzi bellows and the laughing ceases)

Shenzi then composed herself and walked over to Nala, who sat silently and breathed heavily, obviously injured. Shenzi grabbed her head roughly and forced her to face the camera.

"_Anything to say on the matter?" _Shenzi asked the beaten Nala sarcastically

Nala then leaned forward and head-butted Shenzi with whatever strength she had left in her. This made several members of the crowd behind the big screen cheer. As Shenzi recovered from the blow, Nala turned back towards the camera and yelled out one final time before she was silence by a blow to the head from another HYENA soldier.

"_Yes I do have something to say... FIGHT! DON'T STAND FOR THIS! SHOW THEM WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS MADE OF! Ah..."_ The last thing anyone saw was Nala get hit with the stock of a rifle and then the camera faded to black.

The crowd then burst into panicked discussion and Kopa heard several things being said from the citizens like: "You heard ye Queen! Grab the family rifle and let's teach the punks manners!" but a more commonly recurring response was the doomed, panicked one like: "ARE YOU KIDDING! I hate to break it to you pal but the government just got their asses kicked. It's game over man...game over! We're all in some pretty shit now!"

Kopa knew it was best to not engage with them, he needed to focus on rescuing Nala and the royal family. He nudged Vitani and gestured for them to leave. She nodded and holstered her pistol.

"This is just fuckin' great. What do we do now?" Vitani asked him in a panicked tone.

"We don't panic for starters, and we don't fear. It is just what they want. We're going to get the family back." Kopa told her, and for once he didn't refer to them as the 'royal' family, as it was now his family now too.

He then picked up his phone and dialed Haradion's number. He picked up after a moment of waiting.

"Hallo?"

"Haradion this Kopa, I need you to meet me at the front of my apartment in five." Kopa told him, he was sure to use their call-signs (Kopa and Haradion) as their real names were something that HYENA would recognize as a threat. Kopa didn't doubt for a second that their call was being monitored.

"Now how do I do that? The traffic is shitful!" Haradion commented and Kopa told him the answer.

"Take the bike." He said, referring to his brand new Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, which would cut through the traffic like a knife through butter.

"Okay I'm inbound now. Haradion out."

_Fifteen minutes later..._

Sure enough, Dion did show up and skidded to a stop on the curb. Kopa threw his legs over and sat on the back. Vitani approached the bike and shrugged; there was no room left on it.

"Sit on my lap. Now hurry! We haven't got a lot of time." Kopa told her and she complied. As Vitani mounted the bike, Haradion turned to Kopa and whispered to him.

"Smooth one." This comment earned Dion a hit upside the head from Kopa.

The motorcycle groaned under the extra weight of a third person, but it still managed to start and drive normally. Dion revved the deafening engine, and cheered as he gunned the bike towards the palace. They were fast running out of time, as they needed to be there before dark. Once it was dark, the HYENA troops would switch to infrared vision and there would be no stealth for them at all.

_Back at the palace..._

Kovu breathed heavily and ran frantically from one side of the room to the other, whispering things like "Get away...get away! It...wasn't me...this isn't me...what I've become..." Kovu had no sense of reality, and now that Simba was dead, the visions and voices had hit an all time high...to the point he had no indication as to where he was or what was happening around him. He was in hell. _At last...be free, Kovu...Simba is dead...Show Yourself; who you are! What you have within! _

"NOOOO!" Kovu yelled out, he didn't kill Simba he could have stopped it. He should have been the one that jumped in front of Kiara. It was his job, and now the failure slowly killed him...

The eerie voice of Scar whispered to him inside his head and Kovu grabbed a knife from his drawer; and then slit the side of his arm. He dabbed his fingers in the blood and trudged over to the wall, where he wrote:

_NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! _

The blood dripped down the messily written letters and trickled down the wall as Kovu groaned and mumbled to himself. He then grabbed a handful of his pills and threw them into his mouth without any water. His mouth foamed and he collapsed down onto the ground, squirming uncontrollably.

His vision blurred as the fit and insanity raged on, and then he heard a sound that was so terrifying to him yet so simple. The sound of doorknob being turned. He looked up to see a silhouette entering the room; but he couldn't make out who.

"Please...KILL ME!" He begged the figure, but it shook its head.

"_Nein." _It said bluntly and then called out.

"SHENZI COME LOOK AT THIS!" The man called out and soon later another blurred figure entered the room.

"Jesus Christ...Do we waste him?" The voice of Shenzi asked.

"Nein. We must leave him alive. I'm going back to base now." Heckler reported and left the room. Shenzi followed him and went to check on the hostage royal family.

Meanwhile, the psychological torture continued for Kovu. He writhed in physical and mental pain and struggled to pull himself to his feet.

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**How was it? Keep the character profiles coming guys, I really like them. Anyone that reads this story frequently I should suggest to make one, as I am in a desperate need of characters for the fight scenes at the end. (Let's see some more PI1 and HYENA eh? Lots of PRMC entries) Don't forget to review and/or make a profile, the layout guide was last chapter. **


	24. Breaching The Palace

**I'm sooo sorry this took five days to write. I hit a writers block and I also bruised my hand in a game of paintball, which discouraged me from picking up the laptop. I've finished my other story now so I've got more time to work on this. This chapter is where our heroes start to fight the storm, but can they? This breakout is split into two parts, the second will be next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and profiles and keep 'em coming.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 23. BREACHING THE PALACE**

The motorcycle pulled to a halt a few hundred meters away from the palace perimeter. It was sunset now, and they were drastically running out of time before darkness fell, and then the HYENA troops would turn to infrared vision and see them. Somehow, they had more stealth during daylight than at night. And stealth was essential. They needed to get the royal family out of there quickly and quietly.

HYENA had established a tall, barbwire fence that encircled the palace and their troops (mostly dressed in black) marched in front of it. They had also set up sniper towers with huge floodlights on them. This 'fortress' made Kopa bite his lip. How the hell would they get in now? He gestured for his two companions to come together in a 'huddle' so they could discuss their plans.

"Any ideas?" He whispered to Dion and Vitani.

"What do you mean any ideas? You came to this joint without a plan?" Dion blurted out loud. Kopa clapped a hand over his mouth and motioned for him to be quiet, as they were less than a hundred meters away from the palace perimeter.

"Unless you got something constructive to say I don't wanna hear it Agent." Kopa hissed at him.

Vitani looked on at the intimidating fence, and saw the majority of the guards continue on a routine patrol around the perimeter, leaving just _one _stationed guard at the edge of fence. But this guard had an AK rifle, radio and infrared vision, which meant they couldn't just stroll past him. An idea swept through Vitani's mind...and Kopa wasn't going to like it.

"I've got an idea." She said quietly and removed her red headband. She then tossed it to Kopa.

"Well let's hear it...and why is it you all of a sudden trust me with this?" Kopa said and showed her the distinctive headband that she valued so much. _I can't even begin to imagine all the action and places this has been to...well, my bedroom floor for starters. _

"Just leave it to me, and wait for my signal. As much as HYENA have gotten their shit together and are dangerous, they're still idiots. The palace is surrounded by idiots." She said confidently and tidied her hair.

Vitani then strolled up to the fence, with no cover what so ever. That guard could shoot her whenever he pleased. He noticed as Vitani walked she swayed her hips a bit more than usual and walked in a much more feminine style, which was weird for her. Kopa tried calling out after her, but she ignored him and gestured for him to get behind some cover. The guard had caught sight of her now and raised his rifle in alarm. Vitani immediately thrust her hands up into the air and continued walking towards the unsuspecting guard.

"Oh you won't need that, sexy." Vitani said seductively and gently pushed the nervous guard's rifle down.

"Who are you? What is your business here?" The guard stuttered, unsure of whether he should shoot her or not. After all she was just a harmless, flirty woman right? The guard had never had a girlfriend before, and was a little nervous around Vitani. He would take every opportunity he would get.

"I'm whoever you want me to be, big boy. And I'm here for the exact same reason you are...to kiss the monarchy's ass goodbye. And another reason..." Vitani said and gently forced the HYENA officer to sit down. She sat down next to him and swung her leg over his, with a seductive look in her eyes.

"Well if you are interested in joining the civilian's enforcement group, then you can talk to my Sergeant. And what was your other...oh..." The guard stuttered as Vitani advanced on him. She stroked his leg and licked her lips, making the guard sweat in anxiety.

_What are you doing girl? _Kopa thought angrily as Vitani played around with the guard. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but he knew where she was going.

"I was hoping I could talk to _you..._and we could 'discuss' the terms of my 'enlistment'." Vitani said and put emphasis on the words 'discuss' and 'enlistment'.

"Hell yes!" The guard said excitedly and pulled her face up to his and began kissing her. He had his eyes closed while he did so, and Vitani seized the opportunity.

As he kissed and touched her, she ran a hand down his side and unclipped the pistol from his belt, while moaning as if she was actually enjoying herself, even though she hated it. The guard finally pulled away and dropped his rifle so he could remove his jacket. This was a _bad _mistake. When he opened his eyes, he didn't see the same seductive, pretty woman that was there before, but one that looked completely different. She now had fire in her eyes, and she smiled evilly. The guard was about to say something, but all of a sudden s fist flew out of nowhere and knocked him to the ground. It had all been an act.

He scrambled to reach his rifle on the ground, but he felt the cold barrel of a pistol push against his head. Because of his lack of awareness, there would be a good chance their perimeter would be breached. He looked up to see Vitani standing over him, this time with the headband on, and two men flanked her. One seemed to be a little grumpy, and the other younger looking one was grinning like an idiot. The angrier of the two men leant down next him and spoke. The guard groaned at his own stupidity.

"Evening. I bet you know how this is going to go. You have two options, tell us what we want to know and have a nice sleep, or spend the next ten minutes in all the pain achievable using nothing but this piece of wire, and this empty can of cider." Kopa snarled at him and showed him the objects. The guard trembled in fear.

"Where are the royal family and the marines?" Kopa interrogated him and pushed the pistol against his temple.

"Q-queen's in the detention block underground...E-everyone else is upstairs on floor thirty-s-seven and that m-marine platoon are back at the b-barracks. Please d-don't hurt me..." The guard shivered, and Kopa smiled.

"Thanks champ. Sleep tight." Kopa said and rammed the pistol into his head, knocking him out cold. He then grabbed the guard's ID card and cap. They were in now.

"Just what did you plan to achieve with that cider and wire?" Dion asked him with a smile.

"I really don't know. The point is he shat himself and we know where we're going now...And by the way Vitani, don't do that again." Kopa said and clipped a silencer onto his pistol. Both Dion and Vitani chuckled and followed him. _Worked didn't it? _Vitani thought

They casually strolled inside the palace compound and were eventually stopped by two more guards, who looked a little smarter than the last.

"HEY YOU! What are you doing with two civvies?" Kopa realized the guard was talking to him, as he was the one wearing the stolen uniform.

"You're way out of line private...Who gave you authority to...ARGH!" Kopa had hit the deck, and Vitani was behind him with the pistol. Pools of blood grew around the corpses, and Vitani blew the smoke off of her pistol. She hadn't fired a weapon since her time with the Outlanders but her skills hadn't suffered at all.

"Get their rifles, we may need them for later." Vitani told them. Kopa was impressed how she had taken charge of the situation. He picked up the HYENA operative's AK-47 and fixed a magazine into place. He was a little uneasy carrying that weapon, as it was primitive and cheap in comparison to most he had used.

"Okay Haradion, you go and get EJ's platoon and as many other marines out of the barracks and meet down at the monument park out the front. Kopa and I will go for Nala and the royal family. And get us some firepower while you're there." Vitani instructed Dion and he nodded.

"Will do. *_Cla-Chik* _Look after Kopa for me." Dion joked and started in the direction of the barracks.

"Fuck you too." Kopa chuckled after him and started to follow Vitani into the palace silently.

He trusted her knowledge on the layout of the place, and that trust seemed to pay off. They advanced up the stairs quickly and seemed to be heading in the right direction. After ages of sprinting up the stairs, they finally reached the thirty-seventh floor and hurried down the corridor. They turned a corner, in the direction of the Royal living quarters, but saw a trio of HYENA soldiers guarding the huge double-doors. They were listening in on a frantic radio call.

"_WE NEED BACK UP NOW! *RATATATATATAT* THERE'S AN UNKNOWN HOSTILE THAT'S RASIN' FUCKIN' HELL OVER HERE...ARGH! *RATATATATATAT! *" _The chilling voice on the radio said and the guards' expressions turned from firm to worried ones. _So Dion's doing his job. _The guards exchanged glances and one of them spoke.

"Do we tell Heckler?" A younger one asked.

"No. He's the last person we tell. We don't even let Shenzi know, we'll just let our boys handle it. If Heckler finds out, we're all fucked." The older, more experienced HYENA soldier said.

_Heckler? Where have I heard that name before? At least now I know that HYENA have someone a little more high up than we thought, he sounds like he trumps Shenzi in the chain of command. I wonder... _Kopa tried to think about the conversation he had just heard but Vitani elbowed him in the ribs. She then held up a fist, signaling for them to attack.

They both strolled out into the corridor and marched towards the guards.

"Hey...What are you doing up here?" The lead soldier asked angrily and raised his rifle. Vitani's instinct then kicked in.

Before anyone (including Kopa) had time to react she did a handspring off of Kopa's shoulders and leapt off him. She landed right in front of the guard standing in the middle of the three and slashed his throat with a combat knife, before dropping to the floor between the two other, younger guards who shot the area she had just been in, and ended up shooting each other. Vitani then composed herself and got to her feet. Kopa only then managed to blink, awestruck. _Wow that was hot._

"That was...amazing." Kopa stammered.

"When you spend many years as Zira's right hand assassin and as an Outlander soldier then this sort of thing becomes normal for a girl. I'm still proud to say that I'm the only one to have beaten Queen Nala in a hand to hand fight _ever." _Vitani said proudly and wiped the blood from her knife with her shirt.

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**How was it? Here's a little quiz for you...Who is Vitani's human appearance and some personality traits based off? Hint: It's a badass character from another of my favorite movies. Don't forget to review and/or make yourself a Prideland Identification Profile!**


	25. Breaking Out

**This is part two of the breakout, and will be when the storm starts to dissipate, but will it ever be completely gone? That nerd next Door correctly guessed that Vitani's appearance is based off of my second favorite movie character of all time: Jenette Vasquez from _Aliens. _I hope you enjoy this and don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 24. BREAKING OUT**

_On 37th floor in the palace_

Kiara, Dr. Von Gonzo and Nala sat together in a circle in the center of what used to be the royal family's living room. Soldiers encircled them and watched cautiously at Nala. She had been beaten unconscious and was handcuffed to her chair, as she was the most dangerous of all three of them. Kiara trembled in fear, as she knew that not only a day ago these people had wanted to kill her, and instead they killed her seemingly bulletproof father. These people had just beaten them, taken their country right from them, and were ready to blow it to kingdom come whenever they pleased. She sighed as tears appeared in corners of her eyes, and she felt a kick from inside her. She stroked her belly sadly and talked to the unborn child.

"It's okay...It'll be alright. Mommy's here." She whispered to it and a guard noticed her.

"No talking." He snapped and Kiara rolled her eyes.

Then chilling sounds broke out; the screams of Kovu. He sounded like he was yelling at someone, but there was nobody else in the bedroom he had been locked in, so what was he on about? He had been acting very strange lately, but this sounded terrible. He yelled out in both physical and mental pain.

"_GET AWAY FROM ME! NO! ARGH!" _Kiara could only just make out his words. They weren't heartless enough to torture him were they? Probably, as they were heartless enough to massacre an entire airport of civilians. The tears now streamed down Kiara's face.

"What are you doing to him?" Kiara sobbed and looked up at the guard, whose blank expression turned into a scowl when she spoke. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her close.

"I said NO talking. And we're not doing anything to your precious husband, he's in there by himself and we haven't done anything to him. I hate to break it to you bitch but Kovu's Looney." The HYENA soldier said and Kiara shook her head in disbelief.

"No..." Kiara could only whisper to herself.

The guard's radio then crackled to life, and a desperate voice spoke on it.

"_Juliet Six-Two prepare to receive armed hostiles, one maybe two men, over." _The guard's jaw dropped and he stuttered back.

"What? How?" He said but the only reply was static, the operative that just called him was dead. The guard's eyes opened wide and he flicked the safety switch on his rifle off.

"Guys get ready for some action." He called out to his platoon, and they crouched in front of the huge double doors with their rifles pointed at it. They were all confused as to how any single man could have broken through the perimeter on their own, but it apparently had happened, and they needed to hold the royal family at all costs.

All of a sudden, shouts broke out from down the hallway and the lead guard heard some gunshots...then silence. They all froze and looked at door anxiously, but nothing happened. After a few moments of waiting, the lead guard stood up and approached the door with a relieved expression on his face. _What's going on? _Kiara thought and hoped that it wasn't Shenzi or Banzai.

"Fourth platoon on your feet. It sounds like a practical joke; I doubt there's anyone coming. Who could break in here anyway?" The lead HYENA guard asked sarcastically.

"_Me." _A familiar voice said from the other side of the door, then all of a sudden the whole seen erupted into chaos.

The door exploded into fire and shards, and smoke clouded the room. Kiara shielded her face and belly from the blast and looked around, stunned. The majority of the HYENA guards were dead, but there were still a few alive and they were in a panicked state. Two silhouettes then emerged from the smoke, one of a woman and one of a man. They both seemed to carry pistols and they finished off the terrified HYENA operatives without any remorse.

Then they emerged completely from the smoke, and when Kiara saw them her face lit up with renewed hope. It was Lt. Palladino and Vitani. Kopa lowered his gun and held out a hand to her.

"You okay sis?" He said casually. _Who is he calling 'sis' _Kiara thought and took the hand regardless.

"I'm okay, but Nala's in bad shape and Kovu..." Kiara couldn't finish the sentence, as it pained her to imagine what her husband was going through.

"Tani carry Nala down. Kiara you follow her, Dr. Gonzo, you and me are going to get Kovu and bring him down if he is in bad shape. Clear?" Kopa ordered everyone and took charge of the situation.

"Clear." They all said in unison.

"Well then let's get a move on, we haven't got much time." Kopa said as Vitani slashed Nala's handcuff chain with her knife.

He heard them all leave the room and start down the corridor that they had came through. It was only a matter of time before HYENA reinforcements showed up. Kopa nodded to Dr. Gonzo and he nodded back. They then cautiously approached the room Kovu was locked in, and listened out carefully as they went. He could hear the faint voice of Kovu mumbling to himself, and he was mumbling violent things. Then the voice ceased and Kopa raised and eyebrow.

He gestured for Gonzo to stay put while he entered the room. Kopa holstered his pistol, then kicked down the door. But he saw no Kovu, only plenty of signs of him. Blood and foam was splattered everywhere, and it made Kopa shiver. He drew his pistol just in case, and twirled it in his fingers. _What the hell happened here? _The room was dimly lit, and the curtains were shredded and bloodstained. Kopa looked around, terrified and saw several more things written on the walls; in Kovu's blood.

_He's here..._

_In the dark_

_The bane of the Pridelands._

_His SCAR hasn't faded..._

_And it rises from the dark,_

_Into my skin and into my heart!_

The mysterious poem disturbed Kopa to the core. What the hell was happening with Kovu? Had he lost his mind? The scene around him looked like the lair of some stereotypical serial killer. He looked around fearfully as the haunting breeze blew the shredded curtains.

_Meanwhile, Kovu's POV_

Kovu his behind the shredded curtains in terror. His worst nightmare had just been confirmed real. Scar was alive; reborn through him. He watched in agonizing shock as the figure of Scar kicked down the door and twirled a pistol in his fingers. Then he called out his name in his usual, haunting tone. Scar seemed a little more curious then depicted; he looked over his warnings left on the wall and then turned his back completely on him. Now was Kovu's chance.

To kill the worst man in country's history and make sure he _stayed_ dead this time. Kovu unsheathed a knife as his teeth chattered uncontrollably as Scar's voice (The one in his head) told him. _Go on...do it...I want you to do it. _Drool ran down Kovu's face and blood down his arm. His bloodshot eyes opened wide and he charged the figure of _'_Scar'.

_Normal POV_

Kopa heard the scream and turned around just in time. Kovu charged towards him with a knife and slashed at him with it. Kopa ducked the blow skillfully and the momentum sent Kovu sprawling. _What in God's name are you doing man? I'm on your side! _When Kovu hit the floor, he didn't stand back up and try to attack him again, but he burst into an uncontrollable moaning and yelling fit on the floor.

"HE LIVES! GO AWAY!" Kovu screamed as he realized he had just attacked Kopa, who was now trying to help him.

Gonzo then burst into the room and looked at the mangled body of Kovu twitching on the floor. His eyes opened wide and he put his hands on his head.

"Sheizer what have they done to him?" He cried out and tried to treat Kovu, but Kopa stopped him and whacked Kovu over the head with his pistol' knocking him out cold.

"We'll treat him when he have time. Grab his legs and lets go." Kopa said and Gonzo complied, disgusted at what he'd just seen.

They carried him down the stairs tirelessly and hurried towards their rendezvous point. _What the hell happened to Kovu? Why did he attack me? Who lives? _Kopa thought as he hurried down the stairs.

_A few moments earlier, at the barracks_

Agent Harrison 'Haradion' Dion hurried through the corridors, silently killing anyone that stood in his path. Eventually he came across what he'd come for; the barracks mess, where EJ's entire platoon of Prideland Marines was being held. He peeked through a tiny crack in the door, and saw that they were all circled by HYENA soldiers and sat in the middle of them with their hands cuffed to tables and chairs. Dion shook his head.

He needed something a little more powerful than his police pistol to bust them out. He needed something larger, stronger and something with a bit more range. He hurried towards the armory in search of a weapon, but when he passed through the Battle of Prideland City memorial room, something caught his eye.

In a glass case, where artifacts from the conflict against Scar were held, Dion saw a rifle; a sniper rifle. It had a bronze plate beneath it that read: _Weapon Of Her Majesty Queen Nala. Battle Of Prideland City 11th of October 2015. M21. _Dion smiled and smashed the glass.

Fortunately, the weapon was still functional and had a full twenty round magazine clipped into it.

"You beauty! Thank you Queen Nala!" He exclaimed and started back towards the mess. He couldn't believe he was going to fight for the Pridelands with the same weapon that his Queen had famously used years before.

_I wonder if I can get her to sign this later...Supposing we're all still alive. _Dion thought and produced four flash-bang grenades from his pocket. He then approached one of the HYENA guards he had killed and slipped his helmet on; he might need it. He then fashioned a balaclava out of his shirt and slipped on his sunglasses.

"Let's rock and roll."

_Meanwhile, at the mess_

Captain Eugene 'EJ' Jones sat with his demoralized platoon. The Pridelands' finest, the whole fucking country had been defeated. And boy did it hurt. He looked at the faces of those around him, PFC Spector shivered on the floor, and Corporal Lorenzo sat by herself, with tear marks on her face. She had presumed that her only love, a PI1 agent had been killed in the HYENA onslaught. And EJ didn't bother comforting her, as he wasn't that type of guy and didn't want to disappoint her supposing that Agent was actually dead; which was likely.

EJ growled and one of the guards glared at him, EJ responded by spitting at him. He would never tolerate any of HYENA's crap; even if he was their prisoner. He would die on his feet, in defiance to what he called evil.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and a guard collapsed dead on the ground. _Yes! _EJ thought, he didn't even care if this wasn't a rescue attempt; he just liked it when a HYENA operative died. All of the other guards raised their weapons in alarm, and then suddenly four flash-bangs rolled out in front of them. A series of extremely loud noises broke out, and EJ could just make them out over the ringing of his ears. He couldn't see anything however, as his vision was taken by the blasts.

When his sight finally returned, he saw a lone soldier- or whatever he was walk into the mess. He wore a helmet, suit, sunglasses and t-shirt wrapped around his face. All of the guards were dead, and EJ was impressed with whoever this was.

The man stopped in front of them and looked them over, while lowering his rifle and pulling out a set of wire cutters. He then began releasing everyone from their handcuffing. All of the marines were a little confused at first, but didn't question the man. Lorenzo was the first to speak.

"Who are you?" She asked firmly and the man turned towards her. He then knelt down beside her and removed his helmet, sunglasses and balaclava.

"Someone who loves you." Agent Dion said and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for your movie quote Chucky Cheesy." EJ joked sarcastically and all of his men laughed.

"Well Captain Jones, I love seeing the Pridelands' finest being rescues by a cop. And I want to ask you if you still think having a federal officer on a marine mission is a waste of time." Dion said cleverly and raised an eyebrow at EJ.

"Thanks kid, for everything...seriously. Welcome to the Corps Agent *Cough* Sorry, Private Harrison Dion!" EJ thanked him personally and then yelled out the last part. The marines cheered and chanted their savior's name. EJ then handed him a spare PRMC patch.

"HARADION!" They all cried out in unison.

Dion then proceeded to cut the bindings on every single marine, except for Lorenzo. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow as all of her comrades stood up and dusted themselves off.

"Hey, what about me?" She asked Dion.

"You? I think I like you better tied up." Dion joked and the marines jeered, making an _ooh _sound. Lorenzo just rolled her eyes as Dion bent down and kissed her while her cut her free.

"I don't want any of this mushy business in my ranks." EJ joked yet again and slapped Dion on the back.

EJ then picked up a HYENA AK-47 rifle and held it up in the air to get everyone's attention.

"MARINES LISTEN UP! Thanks to our new comrade, we can now get back on the horse. Now is the time where we show HYENA what they pissed off and take it right up to them! We're going to give them a taste of their own medicine and show them what the Pridelands are made of! HOO-AH!" EJ cried out and his men responded in the usual PRMC fashion.

"HOO-AH!" They all cried out and began picking up the dead HYENA guards' weapons.

"Lets' lock and load people. We've got to evacuate the royal family in fifteen minutes." Dion announced to them, hurrying them up. He then turned to Lorenzo.

"Colette, start up the chopper and get it ready to take off. We're going to need some evac. She nodded and kissed him before hurrying outside to do what she did best: fly.

Finally, they were getting this fight back on their terms.

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**How was it? BTW: this story will be much longer than the previous two and I think it already is in terms of word content. Don't Forget to review!**


	26. Site 428

**Chapter 25- One of the most action packed in the entire story. I hope you enjoy this as it was difficult to write (And upload...Fuck my internet) I thought I'd develop the character of Lorenzo a bit more and show off her skills. This is where our heroes take it right up to HYENA, but will our enemies like that? And will they tolerate it? Find out. Thanks for the reviews and lets try and breach 104 before I upload the next chapter.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 25. SITE 428**

Kopa and Dr. Gonzo sprinted down the stairs, carrying a delirious Kovu. He had regained consciousness when they were about twenty-three floors down, and was mumbling things to himself as they went. Kopa just felt lucky that he didn't try to resist them, like he had before. As Kopa ran, adrenaline pumped through his veins, flushing out any weakness or pain. Gonzo seemed to be managing the tiring journey just fine as well.

Out of breath and depleted of energy, Kopa and Gonzo finally reached the palace lobby and almost found themselves walking towards the gate. They panted and their arms throbbed from carrying Kovu's immense weight all that way. When they came to the huge doors that led to the front gate of the palace, Kopa found Vitani, Kiara and a semiconscious Nala blocking the way, staring at something; they were all frozen. _Aw what now? _Kopa thought angrily and shoved his way past them.

Blocking the gate, were several HYENA soldiers. Hundreds of them. There were even armored trucks with their big .50 caliber machine guns pointed at them. Out of instinct, Kopa felt his hands rise into the air. A man then pushed past all the HYENA troops and switched on a megaphone. It was Banzai, and he wasn't happy.

"Bravo Lieutenant Palladino, bravo indeed. And you too Miss Vitani Blackburn, bravo. Wasted all that time and effort and this is what it came down to. I admire you though; every time we take out remove your leader another one takes his or her place. Kill Simba, Nala takes command. We capture Nala and Kovu, then you take command. This is getting ridiculous Palladino, when do you realize that you can't beat us? And what was your plan today? To just stroll in, take back the royal family by yourselves then just waltz out?" Banzai rambled on. Kiara sighed, as she thought Banzai was making a point, but he was so _very _wrong.

"You know what Banzai? I'm impressed with myself too. Because I just proved you wrong and beat you at your own little game. I know you won't blow that nuke unless we're all here to see it." Kopa yelled and a smug grin appeared in the corner of his mouth.

"Christ Palladino, you just don't give up do you? And you're right we won't blow that nuke unless you get the pleasure of watching from a safe distance, and that still looks like it will happen. What did you prove today? You still think you can try to fight us? You and what army?" Banzai said cruelly and tried to refrain from laughing at his opponent's arrogance.

"Not the army Banzai...The _marines_. And by the way...The name's Taylor. Conner 'Kopa' Taylor." Kopa said and his smile turned into a full one.

Banzai rolled his eyes and was about to reply, but suddenly noises started to break out from everywhere. He could hear the rustling of leaves coming from the garden, and several panicked cries from his men, they were getting movement coming from all directions...including _up. _

The panicked cries were soon drowned out by the sound of rotors, and Banzai furiously shone his torch into the night sky. Eventually he came across a shadow descending towards them quickly. Their only weakness had been revealed yet again; air support.

"ENEMY HELO! GET DOWN!" Banzai cried out but it was too late.

_Time to pump some lead into these motherfuckers. Give them a taste of their own medicine...massacre. _Lorenzo thought wickedly and squeezed her finger down on the red button on her joystick. She smiled as the huge side-mounted M134 mini-guns lit up the night sky, and painted the floor red.

Banzai dropped to the floor and just evaded the hailstorm of Pridelander bullets. His troops weren't so lucky though, the majority of them were cut down and fled the scene yelling and panicking; which cleared a landing space for Lorenzo's V-22 Osprey. Banzai pulled himself to his feet and began running with his men; but they were stopped in their tracks again. And this time, they saw what the true source of all the movement was. Several escaped Prideland marines jumped out of their cover and began pushing back the way they came; led by a PI1 agent that carried Nala's old sniper rifle and another marine, that wore a green headband, sleeveless shirt and an eye patch. Despite what had happened in their past; Captain EJ Jones and Agent Harry Dion had formed a powerful partnership. Banzai's eyes opened wide as he came to the realization that he had been defeated for the first time since the battle of Prideland City.

"FALL BACK!" He yelled out to his troops to prevent any further massacre. They all sprinted in the opposite direction and away from the oncoming wave of marines. There were only 19 marines in total, but the night and their fighting skills made that seem like 119.

Once the area was clear of HYENA personnel, the platoon and the royal family boarded Lorenzo's Osprey, which had now touched down and was waiting for them. Finally they were all safely inside and the ramp shut behind them. Kopa collapsed down onto a seat and exhaled loudly. He then felt a warm hand touch his.

"Thank you, all of you. I really appreciate what you've done for us today. Now we can get out of here, regroup and plan our next move." The now fully conscious Nala said to all those on board. Always the fighting character. She then turned towards Haradion.

"What on earth are you doing with my rifle?" Nala asked Dion who smirked.

"Well I'm sorry ma'am. I just saw it on the shelf and couldn't help myself." Haradion said cheekily and the marines jeered. It was official now; he was one of them. Whoever could crack jokes at Nala (Their usual Commanding officer) was a marine all right. Nala just rolled her eyes.

"And I was wondering...If you could sign this for me." Haradion said and held out the rifle and a permanent marker to her. The PRMC boys laughed yet again, but Dion was being serious and Nala saw it. He genuinely looked up to her, despite what had happened in the past few days.

"Sure." Nala said and scribbled a message down onto it: _To my friend and comrade Agent Harry Dion...Rock on. Queen Nala Taylor *scribbled love heart*. _This had just made Dion's day, he had always dreamed of _meeting _Nala and now here she was with her rifle that she had just signed for him and even drew a little love heart on the barrel. Dion smiled and was about to thank her, but red lights flashed throughout the chopper and Lorenzo's voice broke out on the speakers.

"Buckle up people. I've got two HYENA Apaches hot on our six." She reported and everyone strapped themselves in. Kopa could hear the faint sound of rotors outside, rotors that didn't belong to them.

Kopa looked out the window and sure enough, he saw two enemy AH-64 Apaches closing in on them fast. One of them fired its nose mounted Gatling gun at them, and the bullets just skimmed the fuselage. In the cockpit, Lorenzo grunted and switched all of the Osprey's missile systems to _online. Let's see who the Prideland's best pilot is eh?_

She led them on a furious chase through the city, weaving and gliding over skyscrapers and other structures. Rockets and bullets flew past them, and then suddenly red lights flashed in the cockpit. The HYENA Apache had fired a locked missile on them, and it was closing fast. Lorenzo thought quick and released flares. The flares did their job and guided the missile away from them, and Lorenzo tried even more desperately to shake her airborne pursuers in an intense helicopter chase.

**(**_**Ride Of The Valkyries Theme)**_

Lorenzo then changed the Osprey's VTOL rotor position into 'plane' mode and started to gain a speed advantage, but she wasn't done with the HYENA choppers yet. She swooped in behind one and her missile system beeped loudly. _Locked. _She squeezed the red button on her joystick and a Sidewinder missile smashed into the Apache in front of them, creating a giant ball of fire in mid air. She quickly banked the Osprey, just escaping the explosion.

"BRING IT!" She yelled.

Despite the huge size of the Osprey compared to the Apache, it moved much more nimbly in the 'airplane' mode. The pilot of the second Apache realized his numbers and firepower advantage had just disappeared, so he tried to flee, turning the aft of the chopper to Lorenzo, which was a _bad _mistake. Corporal Colette Lorenzo took no prisoners, and locked onto the second victim of the dogfight.

_Beep...beep...beep, beep, BEEEEP!_

_VWOOSH!_

_BANG!_

Lorenzo sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead as she finished off the final helicopter. She then took off her famous aviator sunglasses and got onto the radio to her comrades.

"Bogeys have been handled. Inbound Site 428 now." She reported and in the cabin, the royal family and marines cheered.

"What's Site 428?" Kopa asked Nala.

"It was an old showroom/warehouse that Simba used to express his automobile passions in. It got renovated to include and emergency bunker due to its proximity to the Outland border. It was where we decided we would go if things got bad, and they have." Nala told him.

Kopa nodded and endured the long trip to Site 428. It was named after the engine block in Simba's old GT-500; the 428 cubic inch Cobra Jet motor. When they touched down on the grassy field next to the bunker (presumably used to be a test track) Kopa rushed inside the barren bunker and found the first power source available. Now they were safe from HYENA he could start to search out the roots of their enemies.

Kovu screamed as Gonzo desperately tried to treat him on a table in the middle of the bunker and Kopa had trouble concentrating. Gonzo then resorted to a sedative to make his job and everyone else's lives that much easier. Kopa breathed in relief and then felt a hand touch his shoulder; that hand belonged to Nala.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done today, and the initiative you've shown. By the way I read Simba's letter to you, and I know everything. I think he would have wanted you to have this..." Nala said and drew the famous, silver Desert Eagle that once belonged to Simba. The chrome shone like a mirror in sunlight. Kopa was lost for words and found it hard to accept the gift.

"Wow...Thank you." He said and held the huge pistol. It had the words _Hakuna Matata _engraved on the side. He then pocketed the pistol and continued with his work

"What are you doing now?" Nala asked him curiously.

"Trying to find out a thing or two about our enemy's background, and I'm talking bigger than Shenzi Banzai or Ed. I overhead some HYENA troops..." He started, but finished mid-sentence.

He typed in his password and accessed the PI1 database on his laptop. He then looked under 'Wanted Criminals' and typed in: _Heckler. _It came up with three results. Kopa scratched his head nervously and read.

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**How was that? Enough Action? Who can tell me who Lorenzo's character is inspired by? ( It's more like three people but whoever can guess just one will be a legend) Don't forget to review!**


	27. Roots Of Evil

**Sorry about the increasingly frequent delays, but my football season is coming to an end and I'll have more time for this soon. I'm sorry if this is a little far-fetched for a TLK story, but it is a sequel to my two other stories which were based directly off the movies and is set in my own universe. DrKill800 correctly guessed one of the inspirations behind Cpl. Lorenzo, which was the pilot from Avatar. The other two were Durant from Black Hawk Down and her looks (and name) are based off Corporal Ferro from Aliens. I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review. Let's breach 108 reviews (Don't ask why)**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 26. ROOTS OF EVIL**

Kopa clicked on the top result for his search. He had overheard some HYENA troops mentioning somebody named 'Heckler' and whoever that was seemed to be in some position of power by the way they spoke about him. It may be their inside man that they had been looking for, as there were several questions left unanswered. Like how HYENA had anticipated their first attack, and then seemed to know their every move the day of Simba's assassination. Someone would have needed to have mouthed off. Hopefully the PI1 database would provide some clues. It contained detailed information of each and every single citizen of the country, international criminals, and domestic criminals. Kopa opened up the profile for the first result.

NAME: THOMAS HECKLER

DATE OF BIRTH: 6/6/1984

PLACE OF BIRTH: PRIDELAND CITY, PRIDELANDS

ARRESTED FOR: DRUG TRAFFICKING, 2003

IMPRISONED: 2003-10

HEIGHT: 5'10

WEIGHT: 80 KILOGRAMS

DEATH: KILLED IN COMMUNIST CONCENTRATION CAMP DURING SCAR'S REGIME, 2012

_Not him. _Kopa thought and clicked on the next profile, which had a much younger looking girl; no more than fifteen years of age.

NAME: JENNIFER HECKLER-SMITH

DATE OF BIRTH: 17/8/2035

PLACE OF BIRTH: PRIDELAND CITY, PRIDELANDS

ARRESTED FOR: REPEATED OFFENSES OF MARIJUANA POSSESSION

IMPRISONED: 2050-PRESENT (JUVENILE DETENTION & REHAB)

HEIGHT: 5'7

WEIGHT: 51 KILOGRAMS

DEATH: N/A

_Not her either. _Kopa thought and read on. There was no chance a fifteen-year-old girl was behind all this, especially such a troubled one. She was just a common street punk, but then again, so were Shenzi, Banzai and Ed; well at least they used to be. Kovu had been sedated now, and Gonzo was caring for him in another room. This gave Kopa a bit more concentration, and could do what he did best in peace. The last profile was different, and Kopa felt an eerie feeling when he clicked on the image. This man was much older, and had a cold, cruel expression on his face.

NAME: FRIEDRICH HECKLER

DATE OF BIRTH: 21/1/1971

PLACE OF BIRTH: MUNICH, GERMANY

ARRESTED FOR: ILLEGAL PRODUCTION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS (ARRESTED UNDER SCAR, CARRY OVER OFFENSE)

IMPRISONED: 2015-2025, (MAXIMUM SECURITY)

HEIGHT: 6'1

WEIGHT: 88 KILOGRAMS

DEATH: KILLED IN ROADSIDE BOMB SHORTLY AFTER RELASE FROM PRISON, 2025.

The haunting feeling swept over Kopa again as he read this man's profile. _Killed in roadside bomb shortly after release. _That line repeated itself in his head, as did _illegal production of chemical weapons. _He started to piece it all together, if this man was somehow alive, then it was possible he was responsible for the creation of E115. But the toxin was only meant to be a recent project that was dumped by the Prideland Military, did it really go back that far? Kopa scratched his chin and clicked on 'Detailed Bio'.

_Born in Munich, Germany 1971, Friedrich Heckler was born to German parents that had fled to the Pridelands during the Second World War to escape Soviet persecution. Originally thrown into one of King Mohatu's axis family prison camps, his family stayed there until 1970. His father was killed in a prison brawl shortly before the release, and his mother fled back to her homeland where she gave birth to Friedrich. _

_He grew up as a young boy in Germany, and his mother died of ill-health when he was ten years old. He was then forced to move back to the Pridelands where his older sister lived and worked. Despite his set-backs, Heckler was a brilliant mind and achieved top scores in his schooling. He studied for a PhD in chemistry and became the lab-assistant of Ivan Dimitrov; a famous Russian chemist at the Prideland City university. In 2006, Scar took control of the nation and he continued research on a new, rapid-action painkilling drug. This research was halted in 2015 when Scar demanded that Heckler and Dimitrov develop new chemical weapons for him under threat. The two of them complied initially, but refused to produce any more when they saw the results of their work. _

_In response, Scar executed Dimitrov and threw Heckler into Concentration camp: CCA-147. Heckler was released shortly after Simba's retake of the nation and an investigation took place surrounding the production of the toxin. Heckler was found guilty of war crimes, and assisting Scar and moved to maximum-security prison. The prison doctor reported several signs of infuriated insanity during his imprisonment, and was reported to talk about 'anarchy', 'fall of a nation and 'thousand souls perishing in fear and flames, while the light of a thousand suns illuminates the sky'. Passed sanity test in 2025 and released from prison._

_Killed in roadside bomb shorty after release, body was burnt and unidentifiable; however DNA tests matched him to the body. _

Kopa nodded as he finished reading. _This our guy. _He clicked on the 'illegal toxin' hyperlink, as he needed to prove that this man was alive and angry' he could do this by linking up the symptoms of the mysterious substance and E115. A red message popped up on screen as soon as he clicked on it:_ WARNING: Classified. You do not have permission to access the requested resource. _Kopa snarled and banged his face down onto the keyboard. He didn't have time for classified, and now that he had just rescued his commander in chief (Nala) he felt that he had earned access to pretty much anything.

There was nobody else in the country to fight for it, and he would need all the help he could get with only one platoon of marines, one helicopter and limited ammunition. He had a whole city to free, and he felt that it was his responsibility after the realization that he was indeed Simba's only son. He exhaled in frustration and walked out of his little corner, joining the platoon, Nala and Kiara in the main part of the Site 428 bunker.

Kiara had the only bed, as she was heavily pregnant and needed it. The passed out Kovu was laid down a mixture of towels and jackets; and mumbled angrily in his sleep. Everyone sat back against the hard concrete wall and tried to rest or enjoy a cigarette. They had fought like heroes that day, and deserved the rest after all they had been though. They had been defeated, captured, released and fought again. Kopa sighed and sat down next to Nala.

"Any responses?" Kopa asked Nala, referring to the ciphered radio beacon they had sent out. The cipher was one most Prideland military units knew, and would recognize. Hopefully, there was still some people out there that cold help them with their fight. There was no chance they would be able to pull their troops out of Afghanistan in time, but there were still some reserve units left in the country that hopefully weren't captured by HYENA.

"Two actually. One was from the Elloy air force base only fifty miles from here. They're unscathed, but their communications and radar are down, so they've grounded their planes. The other response was from two destroyers off the coast of the city, the HMS _Mufasa _and the HMS _Ahadi, _but we're too far inland for them to help us." Nala said and held an icepack to her head, where Shenzi had hit her with the rifle. This was reasonably good news, as they could regroup with the air force guys and plan their next move in retaking the city. But then there was the nuke to worry about.

"So when are the air force boys coming?" Kopa asked her again. He only started to realize how much of motherly figure Nala was, even though his _real _mother had died years ago. But she was the closest thing he had to a mother now; he felt safe when around her and was married to his father.

"Tomorrow at oh-nine hundred. From there we will arm up and discuss fighting back, but for now...rest. We need to rest." Nala said and leant her bruised head against the hard wall. She winced in pain as it made contact, but Kopa noticed and took off his jacket so she could use it as a pillow.

"Thanks Conner." She said and smiled warmly.

"No problem mom...uh...oops, I mean ma'am." Kopa stuttered and turned bright red.

"No, you can call me mom if you like." Nala smiled and put a hand on his tense arm. Kopa smiled back and from across the room...they heard EJ giggle.

"Oh get your sorry ass to sleep, Captain." Nala snapped at him and EJ smiled.

"Will do ma'am. By the way Palladino...Don't worry about calling me Captain Jones either. EJ or Cap'n will be great. You're one of us now." EJ said and slapped his old Delta-Four tattoo on his arm that read: _Semper Fidelis._

"That will do Jones. Get to sleep like the rest of your unit." Nala ordered him. Nala and EJ had always had a complicated relationship. They looked like bitter rivals, but deep down they were friends despite the constant bickering and sarcasm.

"My unit's D4 ma'am, and they will never sleep. Even when they're dead. Hey, you know what? I say that Delta-Four is no longer disavowed, and that this platoon be named the new one. Think about it, seriously." EJ suggested and Nala agreed just to shut him up.

"Whatever you want EJ. Delta-Four re-established it is." Nala said and closed her eyes. This made EJ happy.

This would be what his old comrades in D4 would have wanted, a group of worthy successors. But not even all of them were 'successors', there was Lorenzo, Howitzer and himself; all original members. He just wished he could see the faces of his old friends one more time, but that wouldn't happen. Trent Jackson, Lionel Rex, Jeremy Westbrook and Willem Frost were all dead at the hand of Zira and the old Outlanders. That is why he still didn't trust Vitani, even though she had helped save them.

Kopa turned to Doctor Von Gonzo, who was hopelessly trying to get some sleep.

"What's Kovu's status?" He asked Gonzo.

"He was in bad shape. I don't know what HYENA gave him, but it had a bad effect and I managed to pump most of it out of his bloodstream. He'll wake up in the morning, but don't expect him to be pleasant, as it seemed to have a psychological effect on him as well." Gonzo reported.

"We need his leadership. Good to hear that he'll be okay soon, what about Kiara what's her status?" Kopa asked again and Gonzo was quick to reply.

"Baby is developing perfectly and should be due within the next couple of weeks. Kiara herself is doing good too, no back or stomach problems which is good news." Gonzo said to Kopa's joy. He needed some good news for a change.

Kopa sighed, deciding not to tell Nala about Friedrich Heckler yet. That could wait until morning. Right now he was going to get some much-needed rest. He allowed Vitani to rest her head on his shoulder as she slept and put an arm around her to keep her warm in the rather cold bunker.

Kopa took one last look at Haradion, who had Lorenzo snuggled on his lap. They both slept peacefully as well. As terrible as the last few weeks had been, many people had changed for the better and grown stronger emotionally and mentally. Now they valued each other, and it took a major terrorist insurgency for that to happen. Kopa smiled and felt his eyes close.

Slowly the images of the sleeping soldiers faded to black.

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**How was that? I'm just going to say now that in my TLK universe the Pridelands were a major allied power during WW2 and were like a mixture of England and the USSR. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review!**


	28. Stepping Down

**Sorry about the extended delay yet again...old Bronson's been a little lazy. This is mostly lead up, and sets up some events that are yet to come in the story. Do any of you speak German? I hope not, as it would kind of ruin it. Translate it if you want. Thanks for all the reviews and lets try and breach 112 before the next chapter.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 27. STEPPING DOWN**

_Simba walks peacefully through Priderock National Park, through the peaceful wilderness, through the paradise untouched by man. A six year old Kopa walked beside, him, holding his father's hand. Simba is young again, unscathed by the pressures of leading a country, and Kopa feels not a strain in the world. They were father and son. Simba sits down next to a glistening lake and Kopa sits down next to him._

"_Look around you Kopa, what do you see?" Simba asked his son._

"_I see nothing dad, just water and trees." Kopa said in a childish voice._

"_Look harder...Everything you see here has been kept safe from the evil of mankind, and is natural beauty in itself." Simba says and puts an arm around his son._

"_So nobody's been here before?" Kopa asked._

"_No. It just means that finally, humans have not swept over the earth like a virus, and looks what beauty can become of the earth...if we just give it a chance." Simba said and flicked his head in the direction of the stunning lake._

"_Why do you think all men are evil?" Kopa asked his father; wide eyed._

"_Kopa, evil does not exist...It is only what you make of it. And this is what man kind has made of it." Simba said in a much deeper, darker tone and suddenly, Kopa felt the warm air around him turn bitterly cold. The amber sunlight faded away, and the sky turned a haunting grey color. Kopa jumped up in fright when the frighteningly loud sound of thunder broke out._

_Kopa looked around him, and saw that his father had vanished. Suddenly, three masked thugs seemed to appear from thin air and encircled him, with switchblade knives bared. They hissed like snakes and chanted something haunting in a tongue Kopa couldn't understand:_

"_Böse ist nur das, was man daraus macht..."_

"_Böse ist nur das, was man daraus macht..."_

"_Böse ist nur das, was man daraus macht..."_

_Kopa tried to scream out, but no sound seemed to come out. It was like screaming into a pillow. He gasped and waited for the cruel, cold metal to tear through his flesh, but it never happened. Kopa opened his eyes and saw the knife plunge into the body of his father, and the wound didn't bleed red. The area where the knife should have come through at the other end glowed a blue light as the wound opened, and the light blinded Kopa temporarily. Suddenly, the memories of reality raced through Kopa's head. Simba had martyred himself for his family's sake yet again, ad once again, Kopa was powerless to stop it._

"_NOOOO!" Kopa finally managed to scream, but it was all for nothing. His vision then returned to him, and standing in the brightness his father created, was another man. The blinding light behind him made it impossible to identify, all that was visible was the faint silhouette of him._

_The man seemed to face him, and folded his arms as Kopa stopped screaming. Another voice broke out, again speaking in German._

"_Um einen Feind zu vernichten, müssen Sie zuerst zerstören seine Hoffnung, dann seine Verbündeten, dann schließlich selber. Das Böse ist nur das, was Sie daraus machen._

_Lang lebe Hyäne!"_

_Kopa couldn't understand what the man said, but knew it meant doom for him in some way. The man raised a pistol, which from the shape of the shadow looked like a Luger. He raised it at Kopa's head and squeezed the trigger..._

_BANG!_

Kopa suddenly shaken awake, and opened his eyes groggily. When his vision came into focus, he saw the familiar face of EJ looking over him. He groaned at the terrible night, his back ached, he seemed to have developed a cold from the low temperatures, and the loss of Simba still haunted him. That dream had been so..._real_, and sad. He had never had a father as a child, and that was the first time he had ever seen himself with one. Why did Simba have to be taken from him? He tried his best not to think about it, but it pained him within.

"Hey Palladino, Air Force guys are inbound now. Queen Nala wants you on deck." EJ reported and Kopa nodded. EJ then left him and jogged up the concrete stairs and up onto the roof of the huge bunker.

Kopa took his time getting to his feet and thought. Who was the man in his dream? He had spoken in German, so was it that Heckler guy he had read about last night? No, he wasn't even sure if Friedrich Heckler was even still alive, which apparently he wasn't, and couldn't prove he had anything to do with HYENA. He couldn't believe the situation he was in, just a few weeks ago the Pridelands had been a superpower.

Now it had been brought to its knees...by the will of a single man.

Kopa tiredly walked up above ground, and saw the entire worn-looking marine platoon waiting next to a cloud of purple smoke; coming from a marker grenade they had tossed. They watched the skies anxiously, without even noticing their savior, Kopa. Kopa joined them and waited until a cry broke out behind them from EJ.

"QUEEN ON DECK! ATTENTION!" He screamed out and all the marines scrambled to get in line. Kopa joined them in line quickly, and stood in the most upright position he could. He now felt just a big a part of the Prideland military as anyone else. Nala marched past them and looked them over.

"As you were." She said calmly and the marines relaxed. They then resumed readying their equipment for transport, stacking all the ammo boxes and tying them, moving supplies into boxes and packing up.

The battered Nala collapsed onto a fold up chair and EJ took a seat next her. Nala sighed and put a hand on her long time friend's shoulder.

"Look at us. Untouchable one day and struggling for survival the next." Nala groaned and opened her purse, which had a family picture inside it. She ran a hand down Simba's image and felt tears start to sting her eyes. Her beloved husband, taken from her, and there looked like there was nothing she could do to make the bastards pay.

EJ nodded and pulled her hand off of the picture, and held it in his tightly. With the other hand he gently pulled her chin around so she faced him.

"I miss him too...He was a good guy, but does that mean we 'struggle'? No, personally I like to fight until I'm sure I'm dead. You are just as great a commander as he was, and you proved it before, so you should prove it again. And Simba is never dead; he will always live within us. He watched over us from the skies, he's in the battlefield with us, he's in our thoughts, and guess where else he is? In here..." EJ said, tapping Nala on the heart. Nala smiled at him warmly; through his rugged exterior she could see the good man and the hero that the Pridelands owed so much.

"I would fight too, but I'm getting too old to keep carrying on like this, and so are you. How old are you EJ? Forty-seven or something?" Nala pointed out.

"I'm forty-nine, but that's beside the point. There's hundreds of thousands of people in the country that are counting on us to do something, and we need to be there for them. Age isn't a factor for me; I will fight even if the city lies in ashes. What is a factor is that people need us, and I WILL fight." EJ said and looked at her with his one good eye and tried to raise the morale of his own leader.

"EJ, you can't give the Pridelands any more than what you've already given...but if is your choice to keep on going, then I won't stop you. I won't have the authority..." Nala said and EJ raised his eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm relieving myself of command..._It is time, _time for the next generation of Pridelanders to make their mark on history, whether that be in a good or bad way. I can no longer influence our fight, as my age and weakness will hold us back." She said deeply and EJ looked at her with wide-open eyes. His commander of many years, his friend and Queen had just admitted she was no longer fit for duty.

"Then who's in charge?" EJ asked desperately.

"_The King._" Nala said and stood up, before limping away from him, leaving EJ speechless. She was out of equation now, so where did that leave the rest of them?

EJ thought for a moment, who was the King? Technically the first in line was Kovu, and a few weeks ago he'd looked perfect material for a King. He was respectable, led by example and fairly smart. But all that had changed recently, he begun acting very weird, and strange things had happened. Last night, he had completely lost it. He was screaming in agony and anguish even though nothing was happening to him, mumbling dark things in his sleep (and nightmares), having visions and looked like he become completely insane. But Doctor Gonzo had said otherwise, he had managed to treat Kovu and now he was almost back to full health, but still highly depressed and a shadow of his former self. As a matter of fact EJ admired Dr. Gonzo, he had been right there to treat each and every one of his casualties single handedly, and now all of EJ's troops were ready for another fight.

Kovu would have to be his old self of they were to succeed, as it looked like there was no other replacement for Nala. He was the only one with enough military experience and knowledge to lead them. If they, and all the citizens of the Pridelands were to survive, then Kovu needed to be strong. He was their only hope.

"PALLADINO!" EJ shouted out and the worn Kopa trudged over to him.

"Yeah?"

"Bring Kovu up here." EJ commanded him, taking control of the situation.

"What for?" Kopa asked.

"He's assuming command, and apparently going to be crowned soon." EJ told him and Kopa raised an eyebrow. It should be him assuming command, as he was Simba's first son and the one that had managed to rescue them all from the clutches of HYENA.

"He's in bad shape...You sure that's a good idea?" Kopa asked him.

"Queen's final order...so I'm convinced it is. Nala's a wise lady you know." EJ told him.

"Okay then, I'll just go talk to him..." Kopa said, unsure.

Surely Nala would have chosen him right? He did save them all, and has been the backbone of their entire resistance operation. He had spear-headed the fight right from when the plutonium was stolen, so why wasn't he in charge over some psychotic ex-Outlander? Kopa tried not to bother himself thinking about it, as he knew jealously was the first path to evil and didn't want to end up like Scar. Nala was wise, so he felt certain that maybe there was something she saw in Kovu that she didn't see in him. At least he hoped.

Kovu was a good guy, but was he ready for a responsibility like that? He was in no physical condition for that, or mental. But maybe Kopa could change that; he had to. Somehow, he needed to convince Kovu to take the role, and help him when he got it. Most of all, he needed to _believe _in Kovu.

EJ watched Kopa go and sighed, EJ wasn't built to lead, he was built to be led and shoot.

"It was better when we just had the superior firepower!" EJ said to nobody in particular and got back to work.

_A few minutes later_

The first relief choppers were sighted; little black dots in the sky slowly gliding towards them. EJ's troops shot up flares, tossed smoke grenades and waved their arms frantically at the PRAF (Prideland Royal Air Force) helicopters approaching; all trying to signal them over. Sure enough, the pilots of the choppers noticed and started to descend down towards the group of worn marines on the ground.

"Super Six-Four, this is Captain Jones. Purple smoke marks our position, over." EJ said into the radio and the pilots responded.

"Roger that Cap'n, we have a visual and are closing now." The pilot responded and slapped his new friend; Agent Dion, a high-five. They were going to an air base, somewhere HYENA wouldn't dare come for the time being, and now they could sleep without worrying about HYENA knocking down their door.

Dust and sand were blown everywhere by the helicopter's rotors and everyone shielded their eyes. A new whooshing sound broke out, and they looked up to see the helicopters' escort; A pair of F-22 Raptors. The fighter planes zipped through the sky, waiting to prey on anything other than the people at the purple-smoke marked zone. Corporal Lorenzo watched them and admired their sleek design and speed. _Got to get me one of them. _She thought to herself, if anyone was qualified to pilot one of those, it was her.

Once the choppers touched down, everyone started frantically loading up all the supplies and ammunition. EJ had taken command of the troops temporarily, as there was no news from Kovu yet.

_Meanwhile_

Kopa heard the rotors beating upstairs and hurried to find Kovu, who he still had to deal with. He guessed he could wait until everyone was safe in the air force base before he broke the news to Kovu. He saw Dr. Von Gonzo waiting outside Kovu's door and he shook his head and Kopa, gesturing for him to leave Kovu alone. Kopa ignored the gesture and shrugged before entering.

He found Kovu sitting on a concrete bench, with his head in his hands. _At least he's stable now. _Kopa thought.

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**How was it? Don't forget to review! Important chapters coming, and final battle should be within the next ten. **


	29. Air Base

**Sorry about the epic delay guys; but I have been busy. Not much to say except that a few of you were wondering what Kiara's baby will be named and when it will be born. It will be born towards the end of the story and the name is a surprise. Important chapters coming up. Don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 28. AIR BASE**

Kopa cleared his throat, to no response from Kovu. _Okay..._He then took a seat next to him and still Kovu paid him no attention. They sat there awkwardly for a moment before Kopa finally decided to speak. There was no easy way to break the news to him, but Kopa had a few ideas. He felt the weight of Simba's Desert Eagle in his holster, maybe that was something he could cheer him up with, as he knew it was something the Kings had used in the past.

"So...They say you're feeling better?" Kopa said, and Kovu finally took his head out of his hands.

"They say." Were the only words Kovu said before putting his face back in his hands again. Kopa just sighed. This was going to be harder than he imagined.

"We're heading out to the Air Base shortly, and then its regroup and rearm time. Nala's said that..." Kopa started but Kovu cut him off.

"Oh why do you bother? We're finished Palladino. They've got the city, they've cut off our head, they've sabotaged _my _head and now all we've got to fight them with is a dozen jar-heads that don't know the difference between bullets and French fries. And it's only a matter of days before they blow the city to kingdom come." Kovu said in one angry outburst.

"I think you're underestimating us a little, and don't throw in the towel just yet, we're going to get through this like we always have. All we need is a little leadership..." Kopa said, a little startled at his defeatist attitude. But he still tried to hint at what he wanted Kopa to do.

"I think _you're _overestimating our abilities. We're not invincible, and there's a fine line between brave and stupid Palladino. You're crossing over onto the 'stupid' side. What part of 'Game over' don't you understand? You want to be the hero? Go on...go get yourself killed while Prideland City burns, waste your time, I don't give a shit." Kovu snarled at Kopa.

"Waste of time? Kovu I don't know about you, but I can _try _to fight and get myself killed while Prideland City will be saved, or maybe I will fail and die. But either way, sitting back here and doing nothing while anarchy and fear tear through the streets isn't going to achieve anyone anything. We need to try." Kopa said and stood up.

"Aw what's the point? You've seen what they can do! They've got people everywhere! Why do you think you stand a chance? These guys ain't no Scar or Zira. They _will _kill you." Kovu argued. Kopa was starting to doubt that Kovu would ever lead them.

"The point is to show the people what we're made of. If we fail saving the city, then at least we can die with the satisfaction of we did the right thing. Do you want to be the King that stood by while the Pridelands burned under a mushroom cloud? We will only serve to highlight the evil of HYENA, and this isn't about us. It's about the millions of civilian families that sleep in fear each night, fearing the nuclear bomb."

"Well I don't want to be seen as a failure by damn civvies. Oh evils' only what you make of it... Which makes me wonder why we fought in the first place." Kovu said rudely, and Kopa almost lost it.

"I've never heard so much selfish, defeatist bullshit in my life..." Kopa growled under his breath. Kovu heard the comment and and leapt to his feet. He grabbed Kopa by the collar of his shirt and pushed him up against the wall.

"WHAT PART OF 'WE'VE LOST' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? If you've seen anything of what I've seen in the last few days you'd see. You don't even know what I've been through..." Kovu yelled at him.

"As a matter of fact I do know what you've been through, and a little more. And that's why I'm concerned about you. You're meant to lead us Kovu...When Simba died..." Kopa started calmly and pushed him off.

"Don't you talk about Simba...or I'll kill you." Kovu threatened Kopa, who he now started to hate more and more. He could see tears burning his eyes and Kopa drew a letter from his jacket.

"He was my father too." Kopa said as Kovu quickly scanned over the letter. Kovu exhaled in anger and looked up at Kopa, and the more he looked the more he saw the physical resemblance.

"Well then what the hell do you need me for? You should be in fucking charge you hero." Kovu growled at Kopa, who was now sad rather than angry.

"Because, before our Queen stepped down, she gave one last instruction. She said that out of the ashes of the past, a new King would rise. I knew I wasn't the man she was talking about and I happened to have busted my ass to rescue that man, _because I believed in you. _You're going to be a father soon Kovu, would you want to tell your son that you just sat back while HYENA destroyed everything important? Or would you be like Simba? Someone that never cared about himself, and was perfectly willing to die for those he loved." Kopa said, with tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

"I...I can't." Kovu stuttered, about to cry as well.

"If you don't think you're King material, then I won't force you. But please...Think about it. Who do you want to be remembered as?" Kopa said and placed Simba's Desert Eagle down on the bench neatly.

With that, Kopa left the room; disappointed. Kovu sighed and picked up the elegant weapon left for him. He then let it out; the tears he had bottled up since Simba had taken the bullets. The tears slid down his face and onto the barrel, washing clean the grime; washing the memories clean. Kovu held the gun up to his forehead for a few moments, with his jaw trembling in sadness.

"AH!" Kovu cried out and lowered the weapon. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't do the right thing and he couldn't take the easy road out. So now what?

He knew what he had to do, but that meant facing the fear. And that wasn't something that would be easy. It was a long road back for him. He silently joined the others on the evacuation helicopters, and gave Gonzo a little nod of thanks. At least Gonzo always seemed to be there for him. The strange stares of the marines seemed to cut right through Kovu, as if he was made of nothing. What was he made of? That was something he was yet to find out.

He didn't even shoot a glance in Kopa, Nala, Vitani or at his own wife Kiara. They all seemed so hostile to him now, as if he had let them down. A few weeks ago he had been respectable, and perfect material for a leader. But that had all changed, he had seen inside himself, and seen the evil that still existed there. The only thing to be heard on the long helicopter ride to the airbase was the beating of the rotors. EJ (Who had assumed temporary command) spoke first.

"So Kiara, what you going to call Junior?" He asked and Kiara managed to smile a little.

"I'm not sure. Think of boys names." She told him.

"EJ junior?" EJ suggested with a grin, she smiled and shook her head.

"Don't flatter yourself Cap'n." Haradion said from a few seats down.

"How 'bout Danny?" Vitani suggested.

"Nah that's a beat-the-shit-out-of-me-at-school name." EJ joked.

"Matthew?" Nala suggested, hoping they could name the child after her mentor.

"No...I think a name will come in time." Kiara said and rested her head back. Lorenzo then changed the topic.

"I need to fly this thing." She said and stroked the side of the UH-60 Black Hawk. EJ smiled again as a wisecrack idea swept into his head.

"Right...I'm pretty sure the PRAF boys don't want their choppers flown into the side of a fashion outlet." EJ said jokingly, even though he knew Lorenzo was probably the best pilot in the whole Prideland Military, and that Lorenzo wasn't in any way 'girly'. It was just fun to see her angry.

"Fuck you." She snapped at him.

"Aw, you really want to Corporal? I thought you 'liked' Haradion over here." EJ joked yet again. Lorenzo rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Knock it off you two." Nala said before this escalated any further. She may have stepped down, but she would always be there to guide them..._always._

Kovu endured Lorenzo and EJ's constant bickering for the rest of the flight and pined the sight of the air force base. He needed some time alone; and some time away from the cramped helicopter. As they flew, he looked out the window and up at the sun poking through some grey clouds; Simba was watching them. And it made Kovu regret each and every one of the words he had spoken before. But how could he try to fight? It would achieve them nothing. He looked at up at what he was sure was Simba's spiritual presence. _Simba, why have you forsaken me?_

When Kovu finally stepped off the chopper; he breathed in the fresh air that the inside of the stuffy chopper lacked. He looked around him, all of the aircraft were grounded except for two; which were the two F-22 Raptors that had escorted them to safety. A group of PRAF personnel then sprinted up to choppers through the vortexes of wind their rotors created; and began unloading everything.

"MOVE IT!" EJ ordered his troops and they began unloading the crates as fast as they could.

As painful as the last few days were for EJ, nothing was more painful then walking into the Air force barracks. All heads turned around to face them, and they were met with glares and shakes of the head; as if they had failed them. EJ heard several of them whispering about his marines.

"Stupid jar-heads...no wonder the country is in a wreck." One man whispered, and EJ glared at him. That punk had no idea what they had been through.

"Well personally I like to be in the fight, rather than buzzing around above it like coward." EJ growled back at the man, who stood up now.

"Well it's 'cowards' like us that save the asses of you and your high-school drop-outs." The airman replied.

"You want to say that out loud pretty boy?" EJ threatened and shoved the man. He wouldn't let his men be insulted like that.

"Sure. High school drop..." *WHACK!* The man had pushed an already agitated EJ Jones, and that wasn't a smart move. EJ struck him with a right hook in the jaw, and within seconds; a full-blown brawl had started. Marines vs. Air Force.

But a voice broke out; to silence the chaos and commotion.

"HEY!" Everyone lowered their fists and turned around to see someone they would never had expected to see at the back of the room; Kovu.

Kovu was a little shocked at his sudden showing of authority; and bit his lip when everyone went silent and stared at him. He just nodded and left the scene of the fight; embarrassed. Outside he saw Nala, and she gave him a faint smile. He just shook his head and ran off to be alone; he couldn't do that again.

Back at the scene of the brawl, everyone broke it up and dusted themselves off; because of Kovu. They then all began unpacking the supplies in a civilized manner once again.

_In the Air Base command room_

Kopa seated Haradion at an unoccupied desk and put his lap-top on the table. It was time to let the kid do what he did best; track with technology. He plugged the lap-top into a wall and logged Haradion into the PI1 database.

"What am I looking for?" Dion asked.

"Type in the name 'Friedrich Heckler' and read the profile. Once you've done that I want you to track any sightings of him or use places he's been known to stay at in the past. Get me locations...homes, labs, safe houses, anything. I need a location." Kopa told him and Dion nodded. His fingers danced across the keyboard at a lightning pace as he hacked into the information that had been 'classified' to Kopa.

_Huh, too good. _Kopa thought as Dion hacked through all of PI1's security barriers.

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**How was it? A bit uneventful I know, but next chapter will be eventful. Don't forget to review!**


	30. Pain Is Weakness

**Sorry about the extremely long delay, but I've been doing work for a school production and I hope you understand. This scene is directly inspired by TLK1, I mean, would't Simba have the same or greater powers than Mufasa as he achieved more in his reign? Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review**

**Cheers: ****JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 29. PAIN IS WEAKNESS**

Kovu sat by himself at a table in the air base mess. All the marines sat together, and Nala, Kopa, Vitani and Gonzo sat at their own table. Haradion was still in the command room, doing everything within his power to find a weakness in HYENA, or a location that may help them. Kovu just picked at his food silently. He was too depressed to even eat; he was caught in a mental dilemma. One side of him was urging him to snap into a leader, and take command of the situation. The other side told him it was pointless to even try. He sighed and stood up in his chair, everyone went silent as he did this.

He looked at all the worn faces around him, and he felt their blank on him. They were so many, and they all looked to him. But he just couldn't do it...No way in hell. Kovu tried his best to ignore the attention from everyone, and went up to the canteen to get a drink, hopefully something alcoholic that would take his mind off things. As he forced open a bottle of scotch, Kopa walked up next to him and pulled out a second glass for him to fill.

"You know...we still need a new head of..." Kopa hinted straight away, and this enraged Kovu.

"I said NO! Dammit!" Everyone in the mess went silent once again when they heard him raise his voice, and Kovu exhaled angrily.

He took his glass of _straight _scotch and stormed outside, away from the mess, away from the barracks and away from the Air Base compound. He jogged away until he finally came across what looked like a foldable chair. He slumped down onto it and looked up at the night sky. There was almost no noise around him, except for the chirping of crickets and the other sounds of night. He saw the beautiful array of stars, and felt tears slide down his face. One of those stars was his father-in-law, the greatest leader the world had seen, and the man that had given his life to save Kovu's wife and son. The closest thing Kovu ever had to a real father was up _there. _

"Hostilities imminent? Well no shit!" Kovu yelled up at the sky, referring to Simba's warning weeks ago.

"I could have stopped it...I could've stopped it...I should have been the one that jumped in front of Kiara." He cried and took a long sip from his glass of straight scotch.

The liquid burned his throat and he coughed, which made the crying only more difficult. He sat in the chair and sobbed for a moment before a gentle, wise voice broke out of nowhere.

"That's one strong drink you got there." Nala said and put her hands on her hips. Kovu jumped back in fright initially, Nala was always the stealthy one. When he composed himself, he scowled at Nala and turned away from her.

"Shouldn't you be back at camp, sitting in a big chair, smoking monte-cristos and eating caviar?" Kovu commented rudely about her stepping down. He didn't mean what he said; he just wanted to be alone. Personally he didn't blame Nala for stepping down, she was old, and only a shadow of the warrior she once was. But she was still the guiding, motherly figure in Kovu's life.

"I could be, but I'm not. I may not be in charge anymore, but I still have responsibilities...As do you." Nala said and the half-drunk, battered Kovu looked at her with an irritated expression.

"Oh great. You going to give me that 'be all you can be' talk as well? I don't suppose Kopa told you how ours went?" Kovu remarked sarcastically and Nala sighed.

"No, I won't if you don't want me to. But...I'm still going to ask you one question. Do you love Simba?" Nala asked and looked him deep in the eyes. Kovu could feel those sapphire blue eyes cutting through him. He wouldn't lie when it came to Simba.

"Yeah, I did. He was the closest thing I had to a father. I should have been the one that took those bullets." Kovu mumbled and hung his head. Nala nodded and gently pulled his chin up so that he faced her again.

"Sometimes bad things happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. And there WAS nothing you could do about it Kovu, don't get me wrong. But ask yourself...do you really love him? Or only while he was alive? Would Simba stand by while the Pridelands burned? No, he wouldn't." Nala said and Kovu shook his head at her.

"Hey I hate to rain on your parade Nala, but in case you haven't noticed...he's _dead!_ And if he were in this situation I don't think there'd be anything he could do about it either." Kovu said and sniffled a little. Nala stood up next to him and smiled.

"He's not dead...he'll never be." Nala said and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What?"

"Come on...take a walk with me." Nala said and gestured foe him to get up.

"Why?" Kovu protested.

"For me...please. You'll make an old lady happy." Nala said and Kovu shrugged before getting up and following her out of the air base.

She led him out silently, and Kovu followed her, a little confused. He didn't dare say a word on their long trek into the forest opposite the air base, and the silence made him nervous. He patted the back of Simba's Desert Eagle pistol for reassurance. The sounds of crickets, the sounds of leaves being crunched under their feet and the faint howling of wind were the only noises that could be heard. And it was freezing out.

Nala eventually stopped in a clearing and held up her hand, which made Kovu stop in his tracks. The howling wind became louder now and Kovu shuddered. Nala drew the chrome Desert Eagle out of Kovu's pocket and held it out for him to hold. Kovu took it and stood there dumbly.

"Look..." Nala said and pointed to the polished, mirror-like side of the pistol. Kovu looked and found him staring at himself in the reflection. He sighed and looked at Nala angrily.

"Yeah what? My reflection...what's so interesting about it?" Kovu said and Nala shook her head with a smile.

"Not your reflection...Look _harder_ and you'll see." She said and Kovu turned his attention back to the immense pistol.

The wind then picked up again, and the moon gleamed off the chrome pistol. Kovu's reflection was invisible due to the sudden light for a moment, but soon the cloud cover came back and the image on the pistol did too, but it was not Kovu's reflection. The image of him was replaced, and Kovu saw him staring into the eyes of Simba, who glared back at him. Kovu's jaw dropped and he turned to face Nala.

"You see? He lives in _you." _She said and pointed up at the sky, where Kovu saw a huge, storm cloud had suddenly appeared.

Kovu turned quickly to face Nala, but she had disappeared. He was _alone _now. Thunder crackled in the sky, and Kovu suddenly felt the cold air around him become very warm; which was very unusual. A deep, echoing voice then broke out from it seemed thin air.

"Kovu..." It said and Kovu did a full 360, trying to find the source of the voice.

"What? Who are you? What's going on?" Kovu asked nobody in particular and spun around, frightened.

"Kovu...Look at me." The voice said again and Kovu looked skywards, where he saw the clouds start to change unnaturally fast.

Soon, the clouds formed a face, then features, then shoulders and a body. The face had a serious, yet concerned and almost sad expression. The face belonged to Simba.

"Kovu, why do you betray me?" Simba asked.

"I would never." Kovu said firmly, a little weirded out at first that he was talking to the sky.

"You have betrayed yourself, betrayed the good man I was once proud to call my son in law, and in doing so you've betrayed me and your country. Look at those around you Kovu; you are more to them, then what you view yourself. You must bring forth the new generation of Pridelanders, and vanquish the evil that stands in its way. Remove the disruption in the circle of life." Simba told him and Kovu felt tears burn his eyes as he looked at Simba's ghostly face.

"How can I do that? I'm not a chance against them, all the pain would just..." Kovu started but Simba cut him off.

"Kovu, pain is weakness leaving the body. Let it leave you. You're only a chance against HYENA if you think you are. You need to _believe._" Simba said and all of a sudden, to Kovu's pain, the image started to fade.

"_Believe..."_

"_Believe..." _The voice repeated several times and echoed around the land. The image of the face then started to fade and the clouds dissipate.

"WAIT SIMBA! Don't leave me again!" Kovu cried out to the sky, but Simba faded regardless.

Eventually, the booming echo of Simba's voice stopped and the clouds cleared the sky. The air went cold again, and Kovu saw the Desert Eagle's glow in his hands fade out as well. The wind died down, and all of a sudden, Kovu felt a hand touch his shoulder. But he wasn't frightened by the sudden unexpected touch this time. He just wiped the tears from his face and turned around.

"Nice chat?" Nala asked him and Kovu nodded. He knew what he had to do know, but it wasn't going to be easy. Well, it never was going to be, but lives depended on him.

"Yeah...really knows how to make you think about something." Kovu said about Simba and Nala nodded.

"Yep, especially when you've been married to him for almost thirty years. So...what's it going to be Kovu? You want to kick ass or get yours kicked?" Nala asked him and Kovu shrugged.

"I know what I need to do, but it'll be painful." Kovu said and all of sudden, Nala swung a fist into his jaw, knocking him backwards.

"OW!" Kovu yelled out and held his jaw in pain.

"Good...let it leave you. No pain no gain." Nala whispered to him.

"Yeah but it still hurts." Kovu pointed out and wiped some blood off his lip.

"Yeah pain hurts, but the way I see it, you can either bottle it up and keep it as weakness, or you can let it _leave _you." Nala said and struck him in the same place again, but this time Kovu didn't even grunt.

"AH! You're getting it now. So what are you going to do?" Nala asked him. Kovu smiled at her wickedly and started sprinting back towards the air base.

"Hey! What about me? I can't run that fast!" Nala yelled out after him and Kovu wheeled around so he could go get her.

"Sorry Mrs. Taylor." Kovu said slyly and threw her over his shoulders, before breaking into a sprint back towards the air base.

"KOVU! This is starting to hurt!" Nala said as she bounced around on Kovu's shoulders.

"Pain is just a sign of weakness leaving the body, now as your Commanding officer, I order you to remain silent." Kovu said and Nala rolled her eyes. _Smart-ass...at least we're back in business now._

_Back at the Air base command room_

Haradion furiously typed commands into his laptop. He had managed to hack into an Air Force UAV drone (Unmanned aerial vehicle), and was piloting it over a certain section of the Pridelands. He had done a radiation scan before, and there was one place that got his attention. It had such a high radioactive signature it was off the chart. Now he was investigating, from the safety of the command room. _God bless technology. _He thought and guided the UAV over the area.

There were just endless rows of farm fields, and vegetation. But the suddenly, he caught sight of a road. Haradion looked harder at the computer monitor and zoomed the UAV cam on the road. _Clear. _He followed the road until he came across a spec in a massive field, and that spec was the center of the radioactivity. He zoomed in on the spec even further, and what he saw made him smile. He might have just done it. It was a huge country estate, with what looked like several armed vehicles out the front. He zoomed the camera in further to see the chilling HYENA emblem on the hood of a Humvee.

He smiled and looked around him. Kopa was asleep in his chair and he heard Nala and Kovu come through the compound door. Everyone needed to see this now.

"HEY! Quit your grinnin' and drop your linen...I've found something." He announced to all of the command room and Kopa awakened.

The door to the command room suddenly swung open and Nala and Kovu appeared.

"Did you say you've found something? What is it Agent?" Kovu asked him. _Interested now are we?_

"It looks like some sort of safe-house...only a few clicks west of here. It has a HUGE radioactive signature. Something tells me that this may be our enemy HQ...For real this time." Haradion said, still wondering if Kovu was generally interested.

"Good work Dion. Now go get some rest, that's an order." Kovu said and Haradion nodded. He then turned to face Kopa with a smile.

"You too Lieutenant." Kovu said and Kopa smiled, impressed.

"Yes sir! Now we're talking!" Kopa said enthusiastically. He turned to look at Nala on the way out; she just gave him the '_don't ask me how I did it' _look.

It was official: they were back in business. Kovu was back to (and maybe better) than his old self and they now had the location of HYENA. It was all coming together at the right time.

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**How was it? The phrase 'pain is a sign of weakness leaving the body' was a line my soccer coach invented and uses frequently during the hard training. Don't forget to review!**


	31. Operation 'Off The Record'

**So we're at chapter thirty, and I must say, I am impressed with how far I've gotten with this series, and I've had a lot of fun writing it and getting feed-back from you people. This story has 116 reviews, 7,000 views and 12 faves, which I'm very happy with and I'd like to thank you guys that I've gotten this far. Have a favorite new character in this series? Vote for them in the poll! Enjoy the rest of this story and enjoy**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 30. OPERATION 'OFF THE RECORD'**

Kovu waited anxiously on the runway of the air base. The sun had just started to rise, and he was expecting each and every single combat-worthy person to gear up today. To gear up for _war. _This was the day they fought back, and this time, they would use every single lesson learnt fighting HYENA. Every time they had attacked them so far or tried to defend themselves from them, it had gone horribly wrong. The first and most important rule was: Do NOT rely on superior technology. As a matter of fact, Kovu was going to prohibit any more electric firearms or infrared trackers for the rest of the 'war', as HYENA had caught them out with an EMP. That wasn't going to happen again. They would have to rely on old-school weapons and the gut instinct of veterans like EJ.

The second lesson was: Never leave anything unguarded. The last time they had taken that risk, was when HYENA took Simba's life. And they weren't going to be fanning out either, they would stay in groups and work as a team...hunt as a pack.

The third lesson was: Air support. HYENA had very limited air power and they had managed to catch them out like that before. Colette Lorenzo had saved them numerous times by decimating an enemy force from the air, and she was unparalleled up there. HYENA also had limited anti-air weapons, like Stingers and Javelin missile systems; meaning they would not have to worry about being shot down from the ground.

The fourth lesson was: only release minimal details about what has been planned. HYENA had a tendency to find out about their attack plans beforehand, and that had cost them. This time it would be a surprise, even to their own troops. Maybe this would even uncover the 'inside man' HYENA had used in the past.

Kovu started to get impatient and stormed over to the reserve barracks, where EJ's platoon were sleeping. The door swung open and Kovu found them all fast asleep, except for EJ who apparently 'didn't have time to sleep'. Kovu sighed and clapped his hands.

"Come on sleeping beauties, rise and shine!" He called out and all the troops groaned. None of them got up, but just blocked their ears and repositioned themselves on their makeshift beds.

"Come on fellas! UP! UP! Get fell in!" Kovu tried ordering them, but as far as the marines were concerned he was still crazy and in no position to tell them what to do, or need their respect.

EJ looked at his men in disgust and decided he would save Kovu the trouble. He knew the marines wouldn't defy their respected Captain.

"YOU USELESS GROUP OF OLD WOMEN GET YOUR LAZY, NO GOOD ASSES OUT OF BED AND FELL IN!" EJ screamed at them, and all of a sudden, they all jumped out of bed and lined up in front of EJ and Kovu without question. EJ nodded his approval, _better._

"Thank you Captain." Kovu said and EJ continued to glare at his troops.

"First of all, I have taken command of here, and you will obey my orders from this point forward or you will get a court-martial. Is that clear?" Kovu started and the confused marines bit their lips.

"IS THAT CLEAR?" Kovu growled at them, for not responding.

"Yes sir." They all said. Only yesterday they had seen the defeatist, depressed and almost insane side of Kovu. This was something completely different, and they were having issues adapting and showing respect, especially after what they had seen last night.

"Good, now...I'm not going to go over what we've all been through, I think it has all been a bit self-explanatory, but what I will do...Is go over what we're going to do different. Before I get into that, who feels that it is our God-given duty to kick HYENA's ass?" Kovu asked, and all the marines fired up.

"SIR! YES SIR!" Kovu nodded.

"Right. Now...in our efforts to come, we will be doing several things differently. Firstly...there will be no more use of electric weapon systems. Our reliance on technology has been our weakness, and that will not stop us again." Kovu preached to them, and one marine interrupted.

"Then what the hell do we use in the field?" He asked, worried.

"We're going to play this old-school from now onwards. We're only going to be using firearms with conventional firing mechanisms, like old fashioned assault rifles, shotguns and so on. And there will be no UAV surveillance this time. We'll get someone stationed up in an over watch position to keep you posted. Another thing is to fight as one. We need to able to hunt them in groups, and be twice the threat we would normally be of we fanned out. This way we can also prevent ourselves from leaving objectives wide open, like we did with Simba."

Haradion (Who now slept with, reported to, and acted like the marines felt himself go red at the last part of Kovu's speech. Personally he felt responsible for the death of Simba. Had he left just _half _a squad up there, then there was a good chance they would still be fighting alongside their King. But now wasn't the time to feel sorry for yourself, it was time to learn from the past and keep fighting on...just like Kovu.

"Another thing I want you to get into your heads is that contrary to your belief...the Air Force boys are on our side. I don't want any more frays or I will shoot you myself. Their air power is the key to our success, as we've seen how weak HYENA are in that aspect. Corporal Lorenzo?" Kovu said and turned his head in Lorenzo's direction.

"Yes sir?"

"I'm reassigning you to the 7th Fighter Squadron. You'll be doing air-to-ground and air-to-air combat from now on. Right after this you're going to learn how to fly a F/A-22 Raptor. Clear?" Kovu said and Lorenzo almost jumped in excitement. She had always dreamed of flying Raptors, but then again...she felt like she was needed in the helicopter, and that something _bad _was going to happen if she wasn't there for the marines.

"Wow...uh...Yes sir." She stuttered and went red.

"Now, you're probably all wondering why I got you up like this... and the reason is; we've found a possible HYENA HQ location...and we're going in." Kovu finally announced and the marines all cheered.

"YEAH!"

"Now settle down, we know how dangerous these people are...and we know how to beat them now, so let's start arming up. We're going to execute Operation 'Off The Record' this afternoon...and surprise the bastards. We're going to find that nuke, and kill of each and every single one of those fuckers." Kovu said with a smile and the troops cheered again. EJ was surprised at Kovu's sudden attitude change, what had happened last night? He tried to think about Nala would do, as nobody at the present time knew her better than him.

"These people...these _monsters _have slaughtered our innocent, taken our land, killed the most respected leader the world has seen and laugh about it on television. This is when we say enough, and show them what happens when they actually tangle with someone who can actually fight back. We WILL make them sorry. Now who's with me?" Kovu asked, firing the marines up yet again. The response was exactly what he wanted.

"YEAH!" They all shouted. Kovu nodded his approval.

"WHO ARE YOU?" He shouted back.

"PRIDELANDERS!" They screamed back yet again.

"ARE YOU MEAN?"

"YEAH!"

"ARE YOU A MEAN, UNCLEAN, FIGHTING MACHINE?"

"YEAH...HOO-AH!"

"Good. Now let's start getting ready...we've only got a few hours from now, so let's move it!" Kovu shouted as they all left the room to prepare themselves...including EJ, who was very impressed.

Kovu stopped Haradion and Lorenzo on the way out, to get a few things straight.

"How is the HYENA safe-house going?" Kovu asked him.

"Great, a lot of their armored vehicles rolled out to Prideland City last night, so that's a little less resistance." Dion reported and Kovu nodded.

"That's good. And you Corporal, I think it's time you started your fighter lessons?" Kovu said and Lorenzo's face lit up.

"Yes sir." She said and scurried out onto the runway.

"How exactly do you plan to pull this off?" Dion asked Kovu.

"Old school. That's how. The last time we beat Shenzi in a war, we used what we would call now 'primitive' weapons. We're going to do it again now, and we're going to take that nuke. Once we've defused the nuke, we can finally let rip on them." Kovu said and Dion nodded. He wasn't sure about using 2010s style tactics, but it looked like the best way to go.

He watched Lorenzo jog onto the runway, up to some Raptor pilots, and sighed. Kovu raised an eyebrow at him.

"You really love her don't you?" Kopa said and Dion bit his lip.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He admitted.

"Just make every moment last. That's all I can tell you to do. I almost lost my wife a few days ago, and I would never forget that feeling that any moment, I would lose everything important to me. I'd tell Kopa to do a similar thing with Vitani as well." Kovu said and Dion nodded sadly before joining all the other troops in the armory...in preparation what was to come.

_A few hours later, in the Air base armory_

The marines had stripped down to minimal armor, and many of them had taken their shirts off and replaced them with vests or ammunition belts. They removed all of their high-tech gear, as it would let them down and stocked up on everything old-fashioned. They had knives, machetes, shotguns and old assault rifles with wooden furniture. For the first time in his life, Dion felt right going into battle wearing no shirt, only a bulletproof vest and a black PI1 cap he used to wear. He picked out several conventional guns and looked them over; Nala's old M24 sniper rifle, a Colt Python revolver and a Model 1887 lever-action shotgun that would be used as a back-up.

He then pulled out a permanent marker and wrote on himself, and his weapons. EJ wrote down _D4ever _on his 'special occasions' shotgun and messily drew a picture of a lion with a lightning bolt coming from its mouth onto his arm. EJ then fastened his green headband and applied camouflage makeup to his face. The marines did the same, making a _grr _noise as they did so. Finally they were going to hand it to HYENA, and there was no losing this time, but it wouldn't be easy. Then again...The easy day...was yesterday.

_Cla-Chik! _Vitani had finally decided to join the marines, and was loving it so far. They far exceeded the stories and myths she had heard surrounding Delta-Four. She knew she was capable, and so did the marines. She selected a M249 S.A.W as her weapon and scribbled the message: _karma's only a bitch if you are. _

She then growled her enthusiasm and slipped on her red bandanna and sunglasses. _Time to rock and roll... _She even tied up her shirt in a knot so that she didn't look completely out of place.

"Okay ladies, we know how to do this now, and we're going to finally see how HYENA react when something shoots back at them." EJ said and the PRMC troops jeered.

"By the way...We got a few new members to the squad. We got 'Private' Vitani Blackburn over here who is an ex-outlander, and the lass who saved our Asses with Dion. The other F.N.G (Fuckin' new guy) is Doctor Von Gonzo over here, who was assigned to our platoon. He's been a doctor for longer than most of you have been alive, and will be patching you guys up in the field supposing anyone gets hit. Capiche?" EJ said and Gonzo appeared behind hi, wearing full combat gear.

"Welcome to hell Doc." One of the marines remarked; making everyone laugh including Gonzo.

"Much appreciated private. Hell indeed." Gonzo said back, and EJ was impressed.

"He's getting it already." EJ said, creating more laughter.

Soon, everyone was armed up and ready to fight...ready to make HYENA pay. This time, they wouldn't be the ones off-guard.

"So who are we?" EJ asked his men (and women), firing them up yet again.

"We're the dirty, mean, fighting machine!" The marines responded.

"And what are we going out there to do?"

"KICK SOME HYENA ASS!" They shouted again. as they started out of the armory; fully 'suited' up.

"And remember...

If it moves...shoot it.

If it breathes...kill it.

If it's the enemy...don't regret it."

"HOO-AH!"

The sounds of guns being loaded filled the air, and so did the beating of helicopter's rotors and the _whoosh!_ of Lorenzo's Raptor Squad taking off.

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**Next chapter will be a bit more important, but anyway..don't forget to review!**


	32. Danger Close

**Sorry about the wait ladies and gentlemen, but I have had a lot on and there was still a few things me and the co-writer of this story had to sort out, and now it has come together for us. This chapter is comparatively long, but it is one of the more action-packed ones so hopefully it will be entertaining. BTW, who has FIFA 13 and PS3? Thanks for all the reviews, and don't forget to vote on your have OC!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 31. DANGER CLOSE**

EJ looked over his team of 'solid badasses' and nodded his approval. None if them were nervous, even though they had no clue where they were going and had experienced first hand what HYENA were capable of. They were hardened, and that was exactly what the old veteran liked to see. He flexed his fingers around his M4 that he called 'The damsel that deals distress' and winked at Agent Dion. Dion smiled, he was one of them now. When he first met the marines he was the odd one out, and was strongly disliked and distrusted by them. That had all changed, and they realized their common goals and morals.

"_Commencing operation 'Off the record', skies are clear. Initiating takeoff procedure." _The pilot said calmly and the marines cheered. This was what they had been waiting for, a proper opportunity to blow the living shit out of HYENA and get back at them for all the countless civilians, and their king that they had murdered.

The helicopter ascended vertically, and then started forward; flanked by two air force AH-6 attack helicopters and two more troop carrying aircraft, which carried the air force's only ground unit. Lorenzo's squad of F/A-22 Raptors then whizzed past them, and Dion heard his headset crackle to life.

"_Hey babe, like my new ride?" _Lorenzo asked happily and Dion watched her plane twirl around in the sapphire sky.

"Oh yeah. And you never told me you could fly fighters?" Dion said happily and Lorenzo's plane pulled up along side their chopper.

"_You'd be surprised, I can fly anything. This one rides perfectly." _Lorenzo said and did a barrel roll in mid flight. EJ then snatched the radio off Dion and spoke into it.

"I'm sure you 'ride' it better than you ride Haradion, now get your girly ass back in formation." EJ snapped and the marines laughed at their captain, who was ever the comedian.

Lorenzo complied and banked back towards the rest of her squad, and EJ shook his head. He was a little nervous in the inside as it was, and seeing his troops completely naive to what was happening didn't make him feel better. Another nervous face in the chopper was Dr. Von Gonzo, who bit his lip and looked out the window.

"Ever fired a gun before Doc?" EJ asked him.

"A few times, yes. But that was long ago." Gonzo said and EJ nodded.

"Well leave the shooting up to us, you just worry about patching us up if we get hurt." EJ told him and he nodded. It really didn't make Gonzo feel any better.

_Back at the air base_

Kovu, Kopa, Nala and two air force guards watched on as the entire force departed from base. It was the most sudden, and bold move they had made in their entire struggle, and doing it that way looked like it was going to pay off. They were stocked up on ammo, hardened, and had the will to win. And then there was the element of surprise, which normally wasn't something they had. Kopa prayed in his head that this would work; as if it failed HYENA would almost certainly detonate the nuke; as they were in the box seat to watch. But this time there would be no warning for them, and there was apparently huge radiation signatures coming from inside the safe house; which could only mean that this was where it was being stored.

"Please go well...please go well." Kovu mumbled under his breath and looked at Nala, who smiled at him and gave him the _you did well _look.

"It'll be fine." Nala said and put a hand on his shoulder as she walked away. Kovu still had a bad feeling about this, even though it strategically was the perfect move.

They then all proceeded to the command center, where Kopa had left his laptop up and running. He logged in and went onto the PI1 database, where he continued his investigation of Friedrich Heckler, the mysterious man behind HYENA. Kovu meanwhile, had opened up a massive screen, where the live feed from his overwatch was going to be streamed to. There was no UAV use this time, and this was how he would watch over the assault. The old fashioned way. Kovu looked over at the determined Kopa and wondered.

"What are you doing?" He asked, curious.

"Researching. There's someone behind HYENA, I'm talking bigger than Shenzi and all that, someone a little more secretive..." Kopa's voice trailed off as he typed.

"What have you got for me?" Kovu looked over his shoulder and at the screen, where he appeared to be hacking something.

"Well, I know that this guy I'm looking at is named Friedrich Heckler, or that was what he used to be called that is. German born, moved back here and had a bit of a rough upbringing. Got arrested during Scar's time for production of illegal chemical weapons. Imprisoned in 2015, and got released under Simba in 2025. He was supposedly killed just after he was released from prison, but I have reason to believe otherwise." Kopa told him and Kovu looked at him sincerely.

"What reason is that?" Kovu asked and raised an eyebrow, not caring at all about what was happening at the assault now.

"Back when we were saving your asses from the palace, I heard some HYENA troops talking about a guy called 'Heckler' who sounded like he trumped Shenzi in the chain of command. And HYENA have access to chemical weapons, which makes me wonder if he was the one who produced them." Kopa said quietly, making sure the guards weren't listening in.

"Wow...that is some deep stuff. Keep working on it, get me pictures, sightings and so on. Oh, and find out what his chemicals did for me." Kovu ordered him and Kopa nodded.

"Already on it sir, but why do you want to know what the chemicals do?" Kopa raised an eyebrow and Kovu sighed.

"Just look. I have a feeling that..." Kovu started but his voice trailed off as he thought.

"Have a feeling that what?"

"Never mind. I'm going to be watching the assault now. If you find anything then give me a shout." Kovu told him and Kopa nodded.

_Meanwhile_

EJ felt the V-22 Osprey bank sideward, in a completely new direction. In did a ninety-degree turn and then continued that way, much to his men's surprise. But he wasn't surprised at all; he knew what they were doing. Just in case HYENA had an inside man, there would be no way he would be able to foresee this attack either. The location was a secret to everyone; including himself, but that didn't bother him. 'Anytime, anywhere' was his platoon's philosophy.

"Sorry 'bout the detour ladies and gentlemen, but it was for security purposes. I recommend you start locking and loading, as we are now only five minutes out from LZ. And thanks once again, for flying Air-Badass." Lorenzo's replacement said on the radio. EJ still didn't trust anyone flying him anywhere except for Lorenzo, as much as he teased and bickered with her.

"Alright ladies, let's get ourselves ready! Ready...to get...it..._on!_" EJ yelled out and slapped Dion a high-five.

EJ looked out the window and saw a small spot on the horizon; the safe house. EJ growled under his breath and turned back to see the rest of his squad had unbuckled themselves and were doing the final preparations for the assault. Vitani tightened her headband and pulled back the cocking handle on the M249, _CLA-CHAK! _Haradion twisted his PI1 cap around so it was backwards, and slung an ammunition belt over his shoulder. EJ read the message he had scribbled on Nala's sniper rifle; _Think Quick! _And HYENA would have to think very quickly if they were to have a chance.

EJ straightened his signature eye-patch and got his team fired up.

"WHAT ARE WE?"

"A DIRTY, MEAN, FIGHTING MACHINE!"

"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?"

"KICK SOME!"

"You got that RIGHT! Now listen up people, I want safety switches off as soon as we touch down is that clear? Vitani, you're taking point and giving us front on firepower with the S.A.W (Squad Automatic weapon). Haradion, you lag behind fifty or so meters and give us sniper support. Gonzo, you stay with him unless someone gets hurt, then I need you to be Johnny on the spot with that med kit. Everyone else, on me. Red smoke marks air strikes, and purple smoke is for evacuation points. Hoo-ah?" EJ gave them his battle plans and they got even more fired up.

"HOO-AH!"

This was it, when they finally rid of the HYENA threat. When they finally avenged their beloved leader and all of their other victims, and when they showed the world and HYENA what they were made of. And to prove, they were more than capable of functioning without Simba. EJ couldn't wait to pump round after sweet round of 5.56x45mm ammo into their skulls, for all of his platoon members they had killed not too long ago.

"_We're ten seconds out from LZ. Stand by for deployment. Look sharp." _The chopper pilot's voice said on the speakers, and everyone got ready to spring out the back of the Osprey once the ramp lowered.

"_Five...four...three...two...one...mark." _The ramp then swung open, and the entire platoon charged out.

"GO, GO, GO!" EJ screamed out and they fanned out.

As soon as the last marine had exited the chopper, it took off and buzzed away. EJ watched it go and took point position in front of his squad, before they started advancing towards the safe-house. Kovu's voice then broke out on the radio.

"_Sniper overwatch in position. Live camera streaming now online." _EJ nodded to himself and advanced towards the huge estate in a crouched position. His platoon followed suit and readied their weapons for anything.

"Strike team online, permission to engage Shenzi, Banzai and Ed on sight." EJ reported and Kovu (His new commander) confirmed.

"_Permission granted Delta-Four, proceed with caution. Fire on any hostile personnel, over." _

EJ blushed a little at being called 'Delta Four' once again, but quickly regained his focus. All the irrelevant naming shit could wait until after he had put a bullet through Shenzi's head.

"Roger that. Advancing on the safe-house now." EJ informed the command and exited the clearing in which they had landed.

They advanced through the woods, and spread out so they covered more ground. Nobody made a sound, and the crunching of dry leaves was the only noise to be heard. The soldier in point position then held up his fist, and they all stopped in their tracks. The footsteps stopped, and a new, eerie, silence filled the air. The soldier crouched low to the ground and walked forward slowly, when suddenly..._Clink! _

He tripped something, and a large, metallic disk hovered up from the ground in front of him for a few seconds, at around waist height. _Bouncing betties!_ EJ's jaw dropped and he screamed out.

"BALL BUSTERS! GET DOWN!"

It was too late, the soldier had triggered it, and the blast blew him into several pieces. Blood splattered all over EJ and he quickly wiped it off his face so he could see properly. Around him more, and more anti-personnel mines detonated. But this time his squad was prepared, and they ducked underneath most of the blasts. They learnt quickly now, and that was essential for beating HYENA.

HYENA had rigged the entire forest, and they heard the blast. A few patrols went out to go see what had happened, as a small animal could have easily detonated the mines. And they weren't expecting anyone, so they went in casually. That was a HUGE mistake. The marines were waiting for them.

_RADADADADADADADADADANG!_

Vitani and the other machine gunner cut them down with ease, and led their advance towards the safe house. Every single mistake they had made in the past, was learnt from; and now, the marines were relentless. The whole platoon was locked in an intense firefight with the now seemingly inferior HYENA forces, and none of them were afraid. They hadn't even suffered a casualty yet, other than the bouncing Betty victim.

_Under the safe-house, in a reinforced bunker_

Shenzi sat behind a table, smoking a cigarette while she cleaned out the barrel of her AKS-74U. Things went about as usual for her, until the radio call came through. The walkie-talkie buzzed and several loud noises crackled out from it, and caught Shenzi's attention.

"Yo, Arratoon, what have you got for me brother? Find out what tripped the mines?" Shenzi asked calmly into the radio.

"_Jesus Christ! I don't know how, but they found us! PRIDELAND MARINES! And Air Force! We're getting absolutely fucked out here! Send out the entire party god damn it, we are getting overrun, I repeat we are getting over...*BANG, BANG!* Shit! Fall Back!" _

Shenzi's eyes opened wide. How was this even possible? They had gone to extreme measures to make sure the Pridelanders wouldn't be able to detect them, and had rigged up the entire forest so well that surely nobody would be able to advance through it, but alas, the Pridelanders had found a way.

"How the fuck.." Banzai started, but he was cut off, by a rumbling sound.

The whole bunker shook, and the fluorescent light swung around on its hook. Dust also fell off the ceiling. The room went silent for a second, and Banzai was able to hear the faint sound of rotors, even from ten feet underground. They were hitting them hard.

Banzai then sprung into action, he quickly threw a couple important papers in a bag and a USP pistol. He tossed the bad to Shenzi and ushered her away.

"Go, get out of here. You and Ed get to the palace in Prideland City, and stay there until you here from me. Me 'n Cain will sort this out. You are too valuable to lose in this, and I don't want you getting hurt." Banzai told her and hurried her towards the door.

"What about the nuke? Should I take that?" Shenzi asked. Banzai bit his lip and looked at the remarkable piece of machinery in the corner. The timer hadn't been started and was at 00:00:00.

"No, Heckler told me to keep that here. And its too much of a risk if you get shot down on the way to the palace. Now GO! They'll be knocking on the door any minute now." Banzai ushered her and Ed outside and to the emergency airlift they had. Shenzi gave him one last teary goodbye as they lifted off, and Banzai prepared to face the marines, alone. It was time to use his decoys, so that Shenzi, the only woman he loved, would be safe, and Ed.

_Very close to the safe-house_

Two armored trucks sped down the driveway and down the forest road, away from the oncoming wave of Prideland military forces. Kovu's eyes opened wide at the opportunity, that must be Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. He looked away from the monitor and scooped up his radio

"_Delta-Four, you got two HYENA trucks inbound your position, carrying suspected VIPs."_ EJ acknowledged and aimed his rifle at the driver behind the wheel of the first truck.

The bullet simply deflected off the glass and EJ was surprised.

"Don't let 'em trucks get away!" EJ yelled out and his team positioned themselves on either side of the road, firing on the trucks as they passed. Not a single bullet had effect.

"Bloody hell those trucks are bullet proof!" EJ exclaimed over the roar of gunfire and an idea popped into his head. He still had Lorenzo's air support on standby. He picked up his headset and punched in her frequency.

"YO LORENZO! I got two hostile vehicles headed northwest, requesting close air support at one, zero, five, seven, niner..." EJ gave her the coordinates and prepared a a red smoke grenade for action.

"_Roger that Captain Jones, we read you loud and clear. Ordinance inbound hot...danger close." _Lorenzo replied and EJ started to hear the sounds of jets getting louder and louder.

He unpinned the smoke grenade and tossed it onto the road, and a thick, red mist sprayed out from it. From the air, Lorenzo saw the marker and banked the plane hard towards the road. _Time to light these pricks up._

EJ saw the shadows of the Raptor jets get larger and larger in the sky, and called out to his team before their own guys blew them to high hell.

"DANGER CLOSE! EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM THE ROAD!"

The marines scrambled away from the dirt road and into the tree-line. The hissing of the jets above was very loud now, and EJ took one last look at the two armored trucks before they were turned into giant balls of fire.

_VWOOSH!_

_BANG!_

"_Cap'n, hostiles have been handled." _Lorenzo reported as she watched on from the sky.

Back at base, Kovu also watched on from the live streaming he was getting from his over-watch on a hill.

"Okay D4, you got a clear path to the objective, over." Kovu told them.

"Roger. Advancing on the house now." EJ gestured for his squad to get moving.

"Squad, regroup on me." He ordered and then picked up his buzzing radio.

"What is it Doc?" He asked Gonzo impatiently, who was back in the Osprey.

"_Any casualties you need me for?"_ Gonzo asked helpfully.

"That's a negative Doc. You just worry about getting ready for dust-off, if anyone's hurt we'll bring them to you."

"_Yes sir." _

EJ shook his head and continued his task. He wouldn't care if he got hurt anyway...he didn't have time to bleed.

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**Going good? Anyone who can tell me where that final quote comes from is a legend. And what the whole chapter was inspired by and what part is an even bigger legend. BTW, I've started using some of the profiles you guys have made, here I've vaguely mentioned two. Don't forget to vote on the poll on who your favorite OC is and more importantly, to review!**


	33. Knight Takes Rook

**YAY! I updated two days in a row! This chapter was awesome to write, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks to my co-writer who gave me a few action sequences here, and to the guy on the suffering end of that...if he gives you shit for it, let me know so I'll sort him out :P I've been using a few of the character profiles, and there are still more to come. I hope you guys are in for a shock next chapter, and BTW, sad scenes approaching.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

**CHAPTER 32. KNIGHT TAKES ROOK**

Kalin 'Cain' Jackson, Billy 'Jester' Arratoon and their leader, Banzai Marin stood in the large living room of the estate they used as a safe-house. Banzai had just witnessed his decoys get blown to kingdom come, which meant that Shenzi and Ed probably escaped safely. At least that was one thing he wouldn't have to worry about. The Pridelanders, however, were all over what was left of the HYENA forces that were stationed at the safe-house, and that was what he needed to be worried about. This time, they were different. They fought smart, old school, and were led by the feared Captain Eugene 'EJ' Jones. What bothered Banzai the most was that he had received no warning of this attack, which was Heckler's job. Was he just slacking off? Or was he genuinely unaware of the assault?

"Okay fellas, we may be standing in the Alamo here, but we should get through this. Just play the old cards and this will be easier than shooting fish in a barrel. Arratoon, detonate the EMP. Cain...you know what to do, just put the finishing touches on them. Without their weapons they are useless. Everyone else, shoot to kill and protect the nuke at all costs." Banzai ordered them and they didn't need to be told twice.

Four soldiers ran downstairs to protect the bunker that the nuke was in and Cain prepared himself for a fight. He stripped his black leather jacket off, revealing two large, gold plated pistols in shoulder holsters. They were AutoMag pistols chambered for the .44 magnum round, and they had engravings of chess pieces all over them. They also had 15 round extended magazines. Banzai clipped a magazine into his AK-47 and moved to a safer position, away from any possible entrance to the house. He was too valuable to his cause to lose.

Everyone crouched down and readied their rifles, waiting for the marines to come through some none-generic entrance. They guarded windows, back doors and garages. But only two of them guarded the front door. Surely EJ wasn't stupid enough to come through the front right? Everyone went silent, and Cain pulled the hammers back on his pistols. A loud whooshing sound broke out above them, and then Cain knew, _she _was here. And so was EJ, the other man he found difficult to fight. Cain had an older brother, named Trent. He was nothing like him. Private Trent Jackson was once EJ's best friend, and fellow D4 squad member. Because of this he knew EJ very well, and know he found himself hating him and desperate to spill his blood.

"Okay, Arratoon...blow it now." Banzai whispered and Arratoon detonated the large EMP bomb, which was their key for survival.

_Back at base_

Kovu watched as EJ's men closed in on the safe-house from multiple directions. So far, this assault had worked like a dream. HYENA were panicked, and were getting beaten for the first time in their lives. _Yeah, how do you like it when someone shoots back at you, cowards? _Kovu thought. HYENA were on the back foot now, they were outnumbered and outgunned. It was finally coming together. Tomorrow the country would be safe once more. _You've done it pal, well done. Simba would be proud._

"Okay EJ, get people up on...whoa..." Kovu was about to issue an order, but suddenly the screen fizzled out and the camera feed turned to static. _What the...oh...EMP, of course._Kovu scooped up his radio and punched in the overwatch's frequency.

"EMP?" He asked them, and his call actually made it through.

"Yes sir. We're pretty much out of range but the camera still got fucked, everything else is fine. Radio works, but we can't get contact with EJ's team. Their radios are out, 'cause they were right next to the blast." The sniper known as 'Walcott' reported. Kovu noticed how the radio signal wasn't the best.

"What's EJ's status?" Kovu asked.

"They're fine, and are about to breach the house." Walcott informed him.

"Try to get the camera back online, and go in with EJ so you can tell me what's going on." Kovu instructed him.

"Yessir. On our way."

Kovu breathed a sigh of relief, and hoped that the EMP wouldn't catch them out again.

_Just outside the safe-house _

EJ was in the middle of planting a plastic explosive on the door of the house, when a loud, electronic whining broke out. He looked around cautiously and checked his radio; and sure enough there was static. The red-dot sight on his M4 wasn't working either. He quickly removed the sight and flipped up the iron-sights. Time to do this the old fashioned way.

"Ooh, they just set off an EMP. We're fucked now." EJ said sarcastically, and his troops laughed.

"Okay ladies, you know the drill. Lose any holographic or electronic sights. Switch off you radios and get ready to show these bastards what happens when they fight someone who fights back for a change. Dion, use your shotgun. This encounter's going to be close-range." Everyone nodded and did as they were told, and Dion drew his back-up shotgun with the message _Back! _on it.

"Cap'n, we going to flank or what?" A soldier Jace 'Greyhound' Cameron asked.

"No, we're coming through the front door. They'll be expecting us to flank." EJ said and finished strapping the plastic explosive to the door.

"EVERYONE IN POSITIONS! Haradion, get that flash-bang ready." He ordered and everyone scurried to one side of the door or the other.

Cain heard the footsteps and shouts outside, and tightened his grip on his pistols. _Take all the time you need. _He thought, as he knew his enemy would want to plan a few moves ahead. That was all war was, a big game of chess. He then heard a faint beeping sound...

_Beep...beep...beep..._

_BOOM!_

A huge explosion, sending hot wooden shards everywhere and other debris, blew down the front door to the estate. The shockwave knocked him and several others over, but he was quick to get to his feet. Everyone tried to recover from the explosion, but suddenly two small grey cylinders rolled through the smoking doorway...

"FLASH-BANGS! GET DOWN!" Too late. Cain covered his eyes and dived for cover.

_BANG! _

Cain's ears rang inside his head, and the world then erupted into chaos. Marines poured through the front door, and shot his men dead mercilessly. Just like they had in the Battle of Prideland City. His troops were stunned by the grenades, and stood no chance against the Pridelands' finest, which he observed to had learned a lot.

"Ding dong." EJ growled, miming a doorbell sound

EJ quickly alternated between targets and downed each HYENA soldier with one shot each. The room was almost clear, and he saw more movement coming from upstairs. It was Banzai, and he was fleeing. _No you don't... _EJ thought and went to chase after him, but another man leapt in front of him. This one was much different, he could tell.

EJ raised his rifle to kill him and pulled the trigger, only to clear the click of an empty magazine. _Shit! _The man then raised his two golden pistols and prepared to shoot him, but suddenly something caught the man's eye. Cain then dropped to the floor and ducked a hailstorm of buckshot from Haradion. He then rushed for cover as soon as Haradion cycled the lever action on the shotgun.

Haradion fired again, and again. He was standing in the middle of the open, while the rest of the marines stormed the safe-house. Soon he emptied all of his shells. Cain saw his chance.

He leapt out from behind his cover and let loose his AutoMags, firing all thirty rounds he had at Haradion in a 'dual wield' style. Haradion dived and rolled along the floor out of the bullets' path, and felt one skim his leg. The firing then ceased, and Dion saw _his _chance.

"AARHGH!" He screamed out and lunged at Cain, tackling him to the ground. Cain quickly flicked him off and jumped to his feet.

Dion then kicked his leg out and swept Cain's feet out from underneath him. They then both jumped back to their feet again at the same time and commenced an intense fistfight. Dion swung a punch at Cain, and he caught it in his fist strongly. Dion tried to force his hand forward, but Cain was much older and stronger than him and twisted his arm back so that it was behind him in a painful position. Cain then used his free arm to smash Dion's face against the tiled wall. He did it three times and on the third time, the tiles shattered and so did Haradion's nose.

Haradion stretched out his one free arm and just managed to pick up a sharp piece of tiling that had broken off...

Cain had turned away from him and went back to go retrieve his pistols, when suddenly a sharp, burning pain gripped his neck. He tumbled down onto the floor, making horrific choking and painful noises. Haradion had slashed his throat.

Blood from his carotid artery splattered onto the floor, making a nasty mess. For the first time since he had joined HYENA, Cain had lost a hand-to-hand fight. He gripped his throat and felt life start to slip away from him when he saw the familiar face...EJ.

EJ had heard the racket and rushed to his new partner's aid. He saw the bloodied face of his former best friend's brother and frowned. This would be someone Jackson would be ashamed to know. EJ leveled his M4 at Cain's head, and Cain would have sighed if he were able to.

_So the knight takes the rook..._

"You have your brother's eyes." EJ said before he pulled the trigger, putting Cain out of his misery. He then turned to a beaten Haradion, who was in the process of clicking his nose back into place.

"You beat this guy in hand-to-hand? Good job partner." He said and slapped Dion on the back, causing him to cough up blood.

A voice then broke out from downstairs, and got EJ's attention.

"Cap'n! You need to come see this!"

EJ then turned to Haradion and shrugged. _This better be important. _He thought. He then heard footsteps behind him, and swung around ready to shoot at the new threat, but he found it was just his snipers 'Walcott' and 'Archer'. EJ lowered his rifle in relief.

"What are you guys doing down here?" He asked them.

"Kovu said to come down so he could get in touch with you, as the EMP screwed up the camera. As a matter of fact he wants to talk with you." Walcott said and offered EJ the radio, which he took.

"CAPTAIN!" The voice yelled out again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" EJ yelled out. Kovu could wait.

He and Haradion stepped over the countless dead bodies and made their way downstairs into the emergency HYENA bunker. The concrete room was still completely set up, and the dead guards lay in the doorway, which EJ had to step over yet again. He didn't even have to look for a second before he started seeing what he was meant to see.

Pinned up on the walls were several schematics of the Prideland City International Airport, photographs of certain areas of the airport with key locations circled in red, another blueprint that had their massacre route drawn onto it. It made EJ shiver. He was looking at the old plans for one of the most evil crimes committed by man. He was looking at the _roots _of evil. He gulped and kept looking at the valuable enemy intelligence.

On another walls were the preparations of Kiara's attempted assassination. There were black and white photographs of 'building three' circled and other important sniper points and plans. EJ gasped and kept looking. Every single bit of hell he had been through in the last few weeks was in front of him now from HYENA's conception up until now. This was where it all began.

"Jesus Christ...have you taken pictures?" EJ asked Private Cameron.

"Yes sir. And we're copying the contents of their computer onto our hard-drive. But if you think that's something...you ain't seen nothing yet." Cameron said and flicked his M16A3 rifle in the direction of the back of the room, where a large suitcase was stacked up on top of a stack of ammunition boxes. EJ observed the huge yellow and black nuclear symbol on it.

"Shit...we've got it." EJ thought out loud and opened the suitcase lid, where he saw the stolen plutonium wired up to another two bright yellow tubes. The tubes read: E115 HIGH CONCENTRATE.

"Wow, good work Private. Get the nuke and the hard-drive ready for extraction. Now where's that damn radio?" EJ said and Walcott tossed him the walkie-talkie.

"Kovu, this EJ...Do you read me?" EJ waited for a moment, before concluding that Kovu would be way out of range due to the EMP. He then punched in Gonzo's frequency.

"_Yes Captain?" _

"Tell Kovu that we've secured the package, and have hit the jack-pot with enemy Intel. We're brining the nuke and a hard-drive with the HYENA database on it back. Capiche?" EJ told Gonzo.

"_Clear. And hurry before HYENA reinforcements come. Gonzo out." _

EJ sighed, but before he could get his breath back, another soldier called him. It was Vitani.

"CAPTAIN!" _Ugh, now what? _EJ thought. He felt like what he imagined Simba would have felt like; in charge of damn everything.

EJ tiredly walked up the stairs to find Vitani holding a man at gunpoint. It was Banzai, who had obviously lost a hand-to-hand to fight with her and now was on his knees with the barrel of the M249 in his mouth. _This day just keeps getting better. _EJ thought and held up a hand, signaling for her to stand down.

"What have we here?" EJ asked, and fought the strong urge to lash out at Banzai for all that he was responsible for.

Banzai said nothing and just knelt there, accepting defeat. Vitani raised her rifle again and prepared to shoot.

"I say we waste him." Vitani snarled but EJ forced her weapon down.

"Save it. As much as we all want to make him hurt, we still have a country to take back. And we need to him answer some questions for us back at base." EJ pointed out, doing a better job of hiding his emotions then Vitani was, who was eager to kill him.

"You think you can make him talk?" Vitani asked him.

"I'll make him sing." EJ growled and pulled Banzai to his feet.

"Okay D4, get your shit together. We're leaving. Cameron bring me that hard-drive and the nuke. Let's move to the extraction point. We've had enough of a day." EJ said and cuffed Banzai with a zip-tie.

He was just about to walk him out the front door when he noticed something...In the corner of his eye he saw their extraction point, and behind it were several HYENA armored vehicles and infantry. Gonzo had been right about the reinforcements. His jaw dropped and he sprung into action again.

"WEAPONS HOT PEOPLE! We got tangoes coming in from the southeast. Protect that damn nuke!" EJ yelled out.

_It just never ends does it? Maybe Nala was right...I am getting too old for this._

_Back at base_

Kovu twiddled his thumbs nervously behind the monitor, as he knew EJ should have radioed him by now. And it was only a matter of time before HYENA sent more troops to their safe-house. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and swiveled on his chair so that he faced Kopa.

Kopa meanwhile, was onto something. He only had one picture of Friedrich Heckler, and that was when he was in his late twenties. He wanted something a little more recent, and he was onto it. He had managed to hack into Interpol, and had just been denied permission to access a full body photo. _Time to use some of Haradion's tricks _he thought and plugged a USB that contained a virus into his laptop.

All of a sudden, the numbers filled themselves in and the message _Access Granted _popped up. _Finally, now to see what you really look like Mr. Heckler..._

The picture focused in from a few pixels, into a proper picture that was growing in resolution by the second. Kopa saw the image of the face it sent chills down his spine...it was like he'd seen it before. It was so familiar yet so strange. He rotated the image so that he got a full 360-degree view of a later Friedrich Heckler. There was nothing distinguishing about his face, so he tried rear identification, and that didn't come off either.

Kopa sighed; he had been so close. He rotated the image of Heckler again so that he would face forward, but noticed something on his side as he rotated, something towards his hand...

"Son of a bitch..." Kopa whispered in pure shock. This was more than what he bargained for.

"What is it?" Kovu asked.

"Get everyone out of there RIGHT NOW!" Kopa yelled and snatched a radio.

He desperately punched in EJ's frequency but he only heard static. The radio slipped out of Kopa's hand in shock, and he panted in fear. In his mind, all the puzzle pieces started to fall into place.

* * *

**DUN DUN DAAAH! (Gotta love the dramatic music, and hopefully in writing that I didn't kill the mood of fear and anticipation) Don't forget to review guys!**


	34. King Takes Knight

**Another long chapter...I guess I am just trying to cram as much as I can into one chapter so that the story doesn't exceed 40 chapters. It is already far longer than the first two. WARNING: This chapter has a twist that makes the whole story makes sense. ANOTHER WARNING: Very sad scenes, at least for me to write. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**CHAPTER 33. KING TAKES KNIGHT**

_Back at the safe-house_

EJ moved Banzai to a safe position; while holding him in a headlock. It wasn't so much that he didn't want him to escape, he just wanted to make him hurt as much as he possibly could. Banzai was in no position to resist...yet.

Banzai heard the alarmed cry of the Prideland Marines, and chuckled.

"You guys act as if you can handle what is coming...but you can't. We have people _everywhere,_ and supposing you do make it out of this one alive, you're as good as dead anyway." Banzai said and EJ turned his attention to him. _WHACK!_

"Supposing _you _make it out of this alive, you're as good as dead anyway. There's a certain someone that you're going to meet once we're done with you (referring to Kopa), and you took something of his. And he didn't like that...not...one...bit." EJ threatened and removed his green combat headband so he could use it to silence Banzai; tying it around his mouth.

He then left Banzai to a marine escort and started to organize his troops for the oncoming attack. From all that he could see, there were HYENA forces oncoming from all angles. They needed to hold out long enough just for the extraction to arrive. This time though, it was different, as they had taken quite a few things that HYENA would do anything to get back. They took their nuclear bomb, they took their hard-drive and he took one of their supreme leaders. They would be motivated this time. This type of 'last stand' situation was becoming all to regular for EJ. I mean, how could the same shit happen to the same guy so many times?

"Okay guys listen up, they got people coming in from all angles and we have to hold out for another ten minutes before our extraction shows up. Vitani, get the machine gun up in that top floor and lay off suppressing fire, keep them scared. Dion, go for kill shots on the sniper rifle, don't let 'em come within fifty meters of the estate, oh, and go for priority targets. Cameron, keep a rifle team here on the north side, change your guns to semi-auto, try fro one shot one kill, as our ammo's not going to last forever. Everyone else hold the perimeter, and do not, I repeat DO NOT lose the nuke or the hard-drive. Are we all clear?" EJ commanded them and they responded in their usual fashion.

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Good, let's move with a purpose people." EJ said and slipped a fresh magazine into his M4. He could see the horde of HYENA reinforcements from the city getting larger and larger on the horizon.

_Almost in range...come on, come to us and see what happens. _EJ challenged them mentally and held up a hand, signaling for his troops to hold their fire. _In range...here we go. _EJ lowered his binoculars and closed the fingers on his hand to form a fist. The marines didn't need a second invitation.

"HAKUNA MATATA MOTHERFUCKERS!" Vitani screamed for the window of the top floor, and opened up with the M249.

"_RATATATATATATATATATATANG!"_

EJ looked out on the horizon and saw several members of the HYENA back up force fall and bloody mists left in the bullets' wakes. Whole crowds from the enemy force were reduced to mangled piles of flesh in seconds. They had no idea what was waiting for them.

They soon realized how badly Vitani's machine gun position was hurting them, and counterattacked. An armored Humvee moved closer and closer to the safe house while another soldier manned the .50 cal machine gun mounted on the roof. The machine gunner was well protected, and was able to fire several bursts at Vitani, who was forced to jump for cover; leaving that side open for HYENA to attack.

_No you don't... _Haradion thought and quickly zoomed in on his sniper rifle. Within seconds, he managed to pull off a well-aimed shot that put a bullet between the gunner's eyes; but he wasn't done yet. Dion zoomed in on the driver of the vehicle and fired, killing him too. The deafening sounds of combat seemed to drown out in background, as he cleanly killed each and every single soldier that tried to use the Humvees for cover. Within minutes, the south side was clear of hostile personnel, thanks to Dion and Vitani's skillful efforts.

They knew the fight still wasn't over though, and rushed to defend the violent north side of the estate; which was under much heavier attack. Vitani raced along the top floor of the house and mounted the machine gun on the opposite balcony.

She burned through countless machine gun belts, as EJ, Dion and the rest burned through countless magazines. HYENA continued to advance slowly, meter by meter, and the marines were starting to suffer their number advantage. EJ's troops started to drop like flies, as several HYENA soldiers fired on them with their distinctive, conservative, 'fire only if you're sure you're going to kill' style. Soon there were only eight marines left. Above the roar of gunfire, EJ felt his radio buzz in his pocket. _Strange...I thought the EMP screwed it. _EJ held the device to his ear and shot furiously with the other hand.

"_Just a heads up Cap'n, evac is two minutes out. Suggest you make your way to extraction point now, over." _ Gonzo's voice said.

EJ pocketed the radio and continued shooting. _Easier said than done. _EJ thought and was about to tell his troops to start falling back, when suddenly a HYENA soldier appeared from behind a tree stump and sent a wall of lead their way. Private Cameron was right in the middle of it.

"CAMERON GET DOWN!" EJ screamed, but it was too late. A bullet burst through Cameron's helmet with a sickening _twang _and he slumped back onto the floor; dead. EJ frantically grabbed the suitcase nuke from him and shoved it into his pack, and tossed the hard-drive to Dion.

"FALL BACK EVERYONE! GET TO THE EVAC POINT!" EJ screamed out and started running. The few remaining marines complied and started running. EJ went back to the barricade they had made to get Banzai, and noticed something that made their jobs a whole lot harder.

He saw a HYENA RPG team, and they leveled the weapon at Vitani's machine gun post. EJ screamed out to her, but it was too late again. _VWOOSH...BANG! _The whole balcony exploded into a cloud of wooden shards and other pieces of debris. EJ shook his head and started to run back, but now it was a whole lot harder with nothing pinning the HYENA forces back, and many of his troops were getting shot in the back while they ran.

"Tani...NO!" Dion screamed and tried to run back to the wreckage, but EJ stopped him. Dion quickly yanked himself free, as he wouldn't let the only love of his mentor, or the sister of his commander, die.

"We don't have time! We need to get out of here!" EJ insisted and Dion struggled against him.

"NO GOD DAMN IT! She's alive! I know she's alive..." Dion protested and tried to run back, but EJ restrained him.

"And I believe you...but we need to go. She's a tough lass, she'll handle herself until the support comes." EJ told him and Dion gave in. He needed to get this nuke, hard-drive and Banzai safe.

They broke into a tireless sprint through the woods, back towards the grassy clearing they came through. Dion didn't feel tired at all from the sustained running, with the adrenaline pumping through his veins and desperation fueling him. The battle sound started to fade out as well, and the world seemed to move in slow motion as he ran. Each step, and each person or object around him came into exaggerated detail. His tired breaths were all he could hear, with the gunshots and screams as ambience in the background. He slowly looked to his side as he ran, and saw his inspirational partner and commanding officer EJ running alongside him, with the same look of determination on his face.

Dion heard the cries of the HYENA forces getting louder and louder behind him, and started to fear that they may never make it to the extraction point. There was now only three other troops other than EJ, Banzai and Dion left alive and they were starting to fall behind as well, and HYENA didn't hesitate finishing them.

Dion lifted his weary eyes to see the Prideland military aircraft starting approach their marked area, but were they on time? Haradion all of a sudden felt a stinging pain, like a burning hot blade that had been plunged between his shoulders. He had been hit. _So close. _He thought.

Just when he thought it was all over, and waited for HYENA to shoot him again to finish him, he opened his eyes to find himself being dragged across the grass by an exhausted EJ. He was always there for him when it counted most.

"I got you...Don't die on me now Dion, that's an order." The heroic blur of EJ said. Dion then snapped back into action and saluted.

"Sir yes sir!" He groaned and painfully got his feet with the assistance of EJ, and he looked back to see red smoke all over the tree-line, and then he realized: that was the air strike marker, probably ordered in by Gonzo. _Gonzo...God bless you. I knew would be here for us._

Suddenly, a group of air force AH-6 helicopter buzzed over the tree-line and the whole forest seemed to erupt into a ball of fire. _Napalm...how I love the smell of it. _Haradion thought and limped closer and closer to the now safe extraction point, where the V-22 Osprey touched down. Dion smiled; they had made it.

The ramp lowered and Gonzo appeared, flanked by two armed air-force operatives wearing all-black combat gear. EJ managed a smile through pants and let go of Haradion, who painfully followed him.

"Gonzo...Thank Christ for you pal. Now patch Dion up, he got hit pretty bad." EJ said but Gonzo was uninterested.

"Where's the nuclear bomb?" He asked rather rudely.

"Right here." EJ said and tossed one of the air-force boys the suitcase.

"We also got Banzai, quite a score huh? Pack him in there." EJ said shoved Banzai to one of the air-force soldiers, but they just shoved him back.

"Actually...You are to kill him immediately. Kovu's orders." Gonzo instructed EJ, who wasn't fond of taking orders from civilians.

"What? That can't be right...He'd know more than anyone that we need to get as much information out of him as we can. We need to interrogate him." EJ insisted and saw a sudden look of fear in Banzai's eyes, who was surprised at the order.

"We received a radio call instructing you to kill any HYENA leaders or VIPs. You don't want to be the one breaking Kovu's orders do you?" Gonzo said sinisterly. EJ shook his head in disbelief and tried turning on his radio, but this time there was static. _So now you don't work? But before you did? Piece of cheap crap._

"I can't contact Kovu to confirm, so I say we take him back to base anyway and if Kovu really did say that, then we will kill him there." EJ suggested and tried to move Banzai aboard the chopper again, but the soldiers blocked him.

"You were instructed to kill him by your commander and husband of your princess, and apparently the heir to the throne. Think about it Captain Jones...How about all the men of yours that he has slaughtered? How about all those men, women and children he personally massacred in the airport? What about your King Simba, who I understand was a personal friend of yours? Do you not think that he deserves to die?" Gonzo got EJ wound up.

EJ drew his pistol and leveled it at a shocked Banzai's head. Banzai trembled, and looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"I shouldn't...It's not the right thing." EJ argued hopelessly, but Gonzo had gotten to him.

"Do it." Gonzo sneered and EJ sighed, before squeezing the trigger reluctantly.

_BANG!_

EJ lowered his pistol and looked over Banzai's dead body. He felt that what he had just done was not only going ti cost him, but it was the wrong thing to do.

"I shouldn't have done that. You don't kill unarmed prisoners." EJ growled and holstered his pistol.

"It was only natural Captain. He has done so much wrong to you and your country, and you wanted revenge." Gonzo reassured him

_Back at base_

Kopa and Kovu worked desperately to get the camera feed back online, as they needed to see what was going on down there. They had found out the most shocking truth in the entire campaign against HYENA, and needed to warn the marines before things got ugly. That was if any of them were still alive.

Kopa typed furiously while Kovu watched, and soon the camera feed status beeped and flicked over to _online. _The picture slowly came into focus, much to their relief the sniper Walcott had managed to get fix the camera. But what they saw disheartened them, the camera was on the floor, beside a dead body; probably Walcott's.

But that was nothing to what was in front of the camera; EJ and Haradion talking with Gonzo. Kopa frantically reached for a radio.

_Back at the extraction point_

"By the way...did you get that hard-drive?" Gonzo asked and Dion nodded.

"Yep. We downloaded all of HYENA's data, their whole system in fact." Dion said proudly.

"Good...that's one less loose end..." Gonzo said in a sinister tone and reached into his white jacket.

Suddenly, Haradion understood.

_BANG!_

"NO!" EJ shouted, but before he could level his M4 in time..._BANG! _

Gonzo blew the smoke from his Luger P08, and watched as the two bodies of EJ and Haradion collapsed onto the ground. He had hit them in the stomach, maybe towards the chest; non-lethal shots.

He then walked over to the two bodies and leant over them.

"Captain Jones and Agent Dion...two heroes that nobody will remember. It's a shame really, you two were always the stronger of them all...and it makes me sad I have to do this. It really does. It also ruins me that you think of this as evil, as it is only what you make of it. _"Böse ist nur das, was man daraus macht _as we liked to say in Germany. You two fight for a lost cause...HYENA? They are just a bunch East Side punks I've improved to look like warriors. Now, I need them no more. I'm sorry it has to end like this for us gentlemen, I really am. I'd hate to break the news to that lovely pilot you spend all of your nights thinking about Agent Dion, or your best friend and former Queen EJ. But what's done is done."

EJ felt a rage sweep over him, and tried to get to his feet but he couldn't. He simply didn't have the strength. Dion floated in and out of consciousness, and slowly in his mind pieced everything together.

Hans Von Gonzo was indeed Friedrich Heckler, and was behind everything that had happened over the last few weeks, _everything. _When Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had mysteriously escaped from Prison all those years ago, who had helped them? Who was their unnamed mentor that changed them there? Friedrich Heckler. How did E115 fall into HYENA hands; Friedrich Heckler, as he had invented it back in 2015, before being thrown into prison. And what was responsible for Kovu's mental breakdowns? His E115 pills, that he developed himself. He purposely got chosen as the new royal doctor, so he could tear the Pridelands apart from the inside out. He corrupted Kovu, gained their trust and fed his HYENA pawns intel. He never truly wanted HYENA to succeed, he just used them, like Scar had all those years back. Except this time he had done a better job of it. What disgusted Dion most though, was that he planned it out so that it would break them down psychologically. He brought out Kovu's worst fears with the help of a hallucinogen, he aimed to kill Kiara so that Simba would be out of the equation mentally and he spread pure anarchy and fear, without being conspicuous at all.

He had set them up for this as well, this was his planned day to rid of HYENA, as he didn't need them anymore. He had inside men in the air-force as well, why else would that base be untouched by HYENA? EJ was right to fear that something bad may happen if Lorenzo didn't pilot the chopper. He had corrupted them all. And Heckler/Gonzo planned every single twist and turn over the few weeks. Every single move was anticipated, like a giant game of chess. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were just pawns on his board.

And in this deadly game of chess; the king had just taken the knights.

Dion managed to force his eyes open for a brief second and felt himself suspended in the air. The two corrupted air-force soldiers carried him by his legs and arms, and swung him around. Dion then felt a flying sensation, as he was tossed into a very shallow dirt ditch. He used his remaining strength to look up and see the cruel masked faces of the troops who went back to get EJ.

The toss of EJ into the pit seemed to move in slow motion for Haradion as well, as the greatest war-hero the Pridelands had seen, the most fearless and courageous warrior was tossed next to him like an inanimate object. Then EJ landed on his back, and his arm and hand rolled out...so it looked like he was _reaching out _to a powerless Haradion.

_**(Coup de Grace death Theme)**_

The half-dead Haradion then felt footsteps in front of him and saw Gonzo glaring over the two of them. The two air-force troops then approached their mangled bodies and began sprinkling kerosene over them. Haradion knew, that this was definitely the end for him and his newly found partner and friend, a painful one at that.

He felt Gonzo then strip him of the hard-drive that linked him to HYENA, and walk a few feet back to a safe distance.

"_Um einen Feind zu vernichten, müssen Sie zuerst zerstören seine Hoffnung, dann seine Verbündeten, dann schließlich selber. Das Böse ist nur das, was Sie daraus machen."_ Gonzo said to them one last time, before reaching into his jacket to produce a lighter.

He tossed it onto their bodies. EJ and Haradion screamed as the flames around them grew, but soon they ran out of air in their lungs. Haradion fought the burning pain and twisted his head so that he faced EJ lying down next to him. EJ managed to look back with blood-shot eyes and a seared face.

They both had the same, shocked, sorrowful looks in their eyes. But their last action on earth was one that Gonzo would never see. Somehow, the managed sum up the strength to reach out and grab each other's hand while they burned. They knew they were dead, so this was how they went out; Brothers in arms.

Brothers that would never die alone.

That was the sudden, and brutal end for Captain Eugene Jones and Agent Harrison Dion. But they died, with the satisfaction of knowing, that they had done all they could, and that there was no more for them to give to the country. If this was Mufasa's plan for them, so be it. _I love you Colette, please...Remember me._

Gonzo's chopper took off, with their two victims; still lying hand in hand.

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**:'( I really liked those two characters, and it wasn't a good sending off for them. Anyone else like the characters of Cpt. EJ Jones (MHV 1,2,3) or Agent Dion (MHV3) then vote for them in the favorite new character poll! Don't forget to review!**


	35. Der Sturz

**Sorry about the long wait period, but it was my birthday (YAY!...Not really?) Anyway, thanks for all the reviews I've gotten recently and I hope you thought the last chapter was sad, as those characters, especially EJ who has become such a regular in this series were killed off and they should have the same impact Simba's death had on the reader. This chapter we go back in time a little...**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 34. DER STURZ**

_A few moments earlier_

Kopa felt his heart sink as he watched the events unfold live. Tears burned in the corners of his eyes, not because of what happened, but because of what he knew was about to happen. Kovu tried again and again to raise Haradion and EJ on the radio, but it refused to work. Kopa was frozen on the spot, watching Agent Harrison Dion; who had been like a little brother to him for so many years, limped over to Gonzo and started speaking with him. The fallen camera they were watching from was too far away for them to hear the conversation, but they got the gist of what was being said when EJ executed Banzai. Gonzo was tying up loose ends, unknown to EJ or Dion.

What they did next shocked Kopa even more, EJ casually tossed the nuclear bomb to one of the turned Air Force troops and they packed it into Gonzo's (Formerly Lorenzo's) V-22 Osprey.

"No, no, no...what are you doing? Don't give it to him!"Kopa told them hopelessly and shook the monitor violently. That was it, that was all Gonzo needed.

_BANG! _The shots were still audible on the camera, and Kopa felt the tears stream down his face as his fears were confirmed. His best friend, field partner, and spiritual little brother, as well as the most decorated, courageous and skilled warrior were killed while he watched on hopelessly.

"No...Dion buddy...EJ..." Kopa's voice trailed off through sobs. This man Gonzo, had taken his father, his 'little brother', and everything that was important to him.

It may have been happening miles away, but Kopa felt the burning flames around EJ and Haradion as if they were on him. It was torture enough to have to watch, and realize there is _nothing _you could do about it. Kovu lost his temper and smashed his radio down onto the desk, making it break into several pieces. He had failed them.

_Back at the site of EJ, Haradion, and Banzai's death_

Gonzo watched eagerly as Dion's outstretched hand finally slipped out of EJ's grip as they died in the flames. Gonzo nodded, his work was done here. It was time to go back...go back to where it all started, the place that still haunted his thoughts and drove him to insanity. He knew the marine camera was there watching them, and thought of it as more of a bonus. It was time to reveal himself anyway, and get into the hearts and heads of all those that were 'close' to him. It wasn't like they were going to live for much longer anyway.

"And so it ends...back to where it began...where I once lost everything..." Gonzo muttered to himself, then started back towards the helicopter.

"Awaiting orders sir." One of the turned Air Force men said. Gonzo turned to face him, and saw the scar on his neck where he injected the E115. The chemical made the soldier see his fears, and see Gonzo as the light in the darkness rather than a monster. His group of turned Pridelander troops was called 'Delta-Shadow', a deliberate reference to the old D4 boys that he despised so much.

"Initiate _Der Sturz. _And take me back _home._" Gonzo ordered him and the soldier nodded.

Gonzo boarded his aircraft, while the soldier punched in a special frequency on his radio. The frequency raised several undercover D-S troops all over the country, and he gave them all the same message.

"_Execute Der Sturz...Destroy the remnants." _The soldier said sinisterly.

_In the forest opposite the safe-house_

Lieutenant 'Jester' Arratoon helped tend to the many wounded he had received in the battle with the Prideland Marines. There were very few HYENA troops left alive, and only god knew where Shenzi, Banzai, Ed or Cain were. He looked around at the faces of his troops. Their morale was destroyed, and they had been forced to retreat for the first time in their campaign.

"Come on fellas, we'll get 'em back. This isn't the end." Arratoon said, trying to raise their spirits. Suddenly, another soldier next to him spoke up, one that had just received a radio message...

"Yeah it is." The soldier said and Arratoon turned to raise an eyebrow at him, but when he turned, he found himself looking down the barrel of a rifle.

_BANG!_

The soldier then turned around and machine-gunned the whole HYENA group in cold blood. He was destroying the remnants...on Gonzo's orders. HYENA was now completely out of the equation.

_In the skies above the safe-house._

A Delta-Shadow pilot casually guided his F/A-22 Raptor through the air in a formation, with Colette Lorenzo flying in front of him. His trigger finger itched, but he knew he had to wait for the signal. A radio transmission then came through.

"_Execute Der Sturz...Destroy the remnants." _

The other planes then peeled away, leaving Lorenzo vulnerable.

"Hey guys, what are you doing? Get back in formation!" Lorenzo ordered them, to no avail.

The Delta-Shadow pilot activated his missile system and locked onto Lorenzo. _Beep...beep...beep...BEEEEEEP. _The pilot squeezed his finger down onto the red button on his joystick. _VWOOSH!_

"WHAT THE HELL? WHO'S FIRING? DEPLOYING FLARES!" Lorenzo cried out into her radio and deployed flares, guiding the missile away from her aircraft. It wasn't over yet though. _VWOOSH!_

Another sidewinder missile soared towards her, and warning lights flashed all around her cockpit. She had used her flares, so now what? She banked the aircraft right, but the missile followed her, and gained on her rapidly. Lorenzo swerved the Raptor left and right, trying to evade the heat-seeker missile but it was no use.

Her whole body lurched forward as the missile slammed into the wing of the fighter, creating a deafening noise and a fireball. Lorenzo felt her eyeballs get forced back in her head by the g-force of the plane spinning out of control. It took all her strength to reach under her seat and pull the lever.

The canopy flew off the plane, and Lorenzo's seat was ejected just as the whole plane exploded into a huge ball of fire in the sky. The Delta-Shadow pilot watched on satisfied.

"Bogey handled." He reported calmly.

What he didn't see was the parachute gracefully floating towards the ground below him...

_Back at base_

"Lorenzo this is Kovu, do you read me? Over." Kovu tried again and again to contact Lorenzo, so he could get her to blast Gonzo right out of the sky. But for some strange reason he couldn't contact her.

"I can't raise her." Kovu said to Kopa, frustrated. Kopa looked up at him sadly.

"She's gone too." He said darkly and wiped the tear marks away from his face.

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"They got her too. They must have. Gonzo is destroying what is left." Kopa told him and then realized...

Kovu and Kopa then exchanged glances, and their expressions turned into ones of realization. Kovu slid a hand into his jacket and slowly drew Simba's Desert Eagle pistol.

_Meanwhile, behind them_

Two Air Force guards, secretly Delta-Shadow operatives, felt their radios buzz in their pockets. The first man flicked on his radio and received the message.

"_Execute Der Sturz...Destroy the remnants." _

The two guards nodded at each other and silently closed the door to the command room, so that nobody would hear the shots. They raised their rifles and slowly advanced on Kovu and Kopa, who had their backs turned and were facing the screen. They aimed their guns at Kovu and Kopa's head and prepared to fire...

Suddenly..._BANG! BANG!_

The two Delta-shadow assailants slumped onto the ground; dead. Kovu had spun around quicker than the blink of an eye, and shot them both with one bullet in in the head each. Kovu blew the smoke off his pistol and quickly ran over to inspect the bodies. He noted how they had scars on their necks, and bloodshot eyes. They had been injected with E115. Kovu felt lucky that he realized what was happening when he did, otherwise their would be nobody left to defend the Pridelands, and they would be destroyed.

* * *

_Several years earlier, 2015. Scar's regime._

Ivan Dimitrov slowly moved several rats into a clear plastic container that was sealed tight. He looked over to his best student and most trusted friend; Friedrich Heckler. Heckler was his best student, and probably his most trusted lab assistant and friend. As a matter of fact, Heckler was the closest thing he had to a son. He felt sorry for the lad, as he had his parents taken from him at a young age and he had to grow up without them, and hating the Prideland government, calling them 'evil'. But Dimitrov had taught him against that, and that he should hate no one, and strive to be the best man he could be. He pointed out to Heckler that he didn't hate Dimitrov, even though it was his race of people (Russian) that were responsible for the persecution of his people and half the reason why they fled to the Pridelands in the first place.

Heckler had learnt a lot from him, and had grown into a brilliant young mind and a respectable young man, who aimed to make people's lives better as much as he could, and was developing the most advanced painkiller yet. But that all changed rapidly. King Mufasa died, and his brother took charge and established a communist regime; something that both Heckler and Dimitrov had tried so hard in the past to escape. And this 'Scar' did things that any man would call evil, including Dimitrov. He set up concentration camps, and had people killed in the thousands. He managed to start war with his own people, as the PRF rose and opposed him. Heckler and Dimitrov had still managed just fine even under the new harsh circumstances, and their research continued. But three weeks ago that changed too. Scar himself had shown up at their lab door, and it was only common sense and fear for their lives that stopped Heckler and Dimitrov from opposing him right then and there.

He ordered them to develop a chemical that could be deployed against the PRF, that would not only do physical harm, but psychological as well. Dimitrov and Heckler were hesitant at first, as they thought that what the PRF did was justified. In the end, Scar had to point guns at their heads to get them to work.

They complied, and developed a toxin out of the same element they had used to create their painkillers; Ununpentium, better known as 'Element 115'. They managed to somehow reverse the psychological effect, but were unsure of how strong it was or what exactly it would do to a person.

That was what they were testing now, and Dimitrov wanted to be done with it so he could have no more to do with this war. He fixed a tube of E115 onto the hatch of the plastic container, looked at his assistant Heckler and nodded. Heckler nodded back and prepared his notebook to record results. Heckler pressed the syringe and the yellow gas was pumped into the container.

Heckler and Dimitrov looked on anxiously and waited for the chemical to take effect. The rats moved about normally for a moment, then started to move around quicker and more frantically. Heckler scribbled down notes as this happened. Soon, the rats were racing around the contained clawing the plastic, trying to get free. Dimitrov watched in horror and looked into one rat's eyes. It was practically squealing _please...kill me!_

Within minutes the rats were dead. Heckler and Dimitrov exchanged glances. This toxin was a lot more powerful than they had predicted, and Heckler needed to know what it would do to a man before he just let Scar walk away with some.

"Sheizer...That was...shocking, to say the least." Heckler said and looked at the dead rats.

"Yes...But that is on rats, we can't predict what effect it will have on humans. I don't want Scar to walk away with some super-weapon." Dimitrov agreed and Heckler's face lit up, as if he had an idea.

"There's only one way to find out." Heckler said and unscrewed a syringe of E115 from the container. He removed the needle and held the syringe over his mouth.

"No my son...it is too dangerous." Dimitrov said but Heckler rolled his eyes and ignored the older, more experienced scientist.

"Relax Ivan, I'll only take a drop." Heckler told him and let a drop of E115 slide onto his tongue.

He licked it back and waited for a few moments, before it happened. He dropped to his knees and held his head, as the visions of his mother and father's death haunted his head. His worst nightmares resurfaced. He saw his mother dying in front of him, and his father being killed in the prison camp brawl that happened so long ago. He saw Adolf Hitler and King Mohatu, the two men responsible for his pains. Heckler screamed out in pain and quickly got to his feet.

He rushed over to the sink and took several gulps of water, before wetting his face; snapping him out of it. Dimitrov rushed to his aid and helped him regain his composure.

"If only you saw the things I saw...We must not let Scar get his hands on this. That was...evil, pure evil." Heckler panted and quickly tipped the E115 down the sink. That was too much for anyone. Scar couldn't use that.

"Right...then we must destroy what we have created. It is the only way to be sure." Dimitrov said and nodded at Heckler, who began tipping all of the E115 canisters into an acid bath, that would destroy the chemical.

"But what if Scar finds out that we destroyed it?" Heckler asked, worried.

"Then we tell him that what he asked for we cannot help him with, as it is beyond our abilities. If we have to pay the price, then so be it. We can't let that get out." Dimitrov told him and began destroying the E115. They destroyed canister after canister...but they were too late.

A pounding sound came from their lab door.

"OPEN UP IN THERE! GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL!" One of Scar's communist soldiers shouted. Heckler looked at Dimitrov in terror. Scar was here.

"He's here...what do we do?" Heckler asked in fright.

"Destroy the last canister. I'll deal with Scar."

Dimitrov rushed over to the door and opened it, as soon as it was open several soldiers rushed through, and eventually Scar himself. Scar had the same sinister and chilling look in his eyes that he always had, and his mere presence was enough to intimidate Heckler, who tried to hide the acid bath.

"Ah sir, glad you could join us again today..." Dimitrov started but one of Scar's private army soldiers shoved him to the ground mercilessly. _Monster. _Heckler thought.

"Where's my chemical?" Scar asked rudely. Dimitrov got his feet and straightened his glasses.

"Well you see sir...We haven't been able to create what you have requested. We are mere chemists, not manufacturers of chemical weapons. You would have to consult someone that has expertise in the area." Dimitrov lied, and Scar ignored him as he inspected all of their research, and eventually came across the container with the dead rats and gas inside it.

"Is that so? It certainly looks like you've given it a crack..." Scar said sinisterly and looked Heckler in the eyes, who was doing his best to refrain from shivering, while trying to hide the acid bath under a cloth.

He saw what Heckler's arm was resting on and ruthlessly shoved it aside. He pulled away the cloth, revealing the acid bath. Floating on top was a test tube that read _E115 _and was slowly burning away. Scar suddenly understood what had happened here, and hid his rage in the usual, cool fashion.

"Doctor Dimitrov...Come here please." Scar ordered and Heckler felt himself shiver uncontrollably. They had been found out.

"What is this?" He asked Dimitrov who shook his head dumbly.

"I don't know...I swear." Dimitrov said, and suddenly Scar lashed out and grabbed his throat angrily. Heckler then sprung into action.

"NO!" Heckler shouted and slashed at Scar with a hidden knife, but Scar ducked the blow skillfully and elbowed the young scientist in the stomach, making him drop the knife.

Scar then picked up the knife and forced the hand of the stunned Heckler down onto the lab bench-top, before plunging it down into his hand, cutting off his right ring finger. Heckler cried in pain and pulled his bloodied hand away.

"That move cost you Doctor. As for you...You know I don't like it when people lie to me." Scar said to Dimitrov and Heckler. He had killed every person that had lied to him so far, except for one; that twenty-one year old beauty Nala, who he was sure was a spy. He would punish her _differently._

Scar drew a Desert Eagle pistol out of his jacket and leveled it at Dimitrov's head. _BANG! _ Heckler cried out as the closest thing he had to a father, his mentor, his teacher and best friend was executed right in front of him. This was the Prideland's last thing it would do to him before he said enough.

"As for you Doctor Heckler...I'll let you live with your mistake, and a missing finger. Enjoy your stay at camp CCA-147." Scar said evilly and Heckler wriggled across the ground.

"You...you're a monster!. You're evil!" Heckler said, still clutching his wounded hand. Scar laughed manically for a moment before bending over Heckler and whispering.

"No Doctor Heckler, Evil...is only what you make of it. Remember that for the future."

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**Ooh, so that's or main villain's background for you. Can anyone tell me where the four fingers trait came from? HINT: It's not inspired by a film or fictitious work, but really, really real...Especially for me as an author. Anyway, don't forget to review!**


	36. All That Remains

**YAY! A normal length chapter, for the first time in a while. My fears have been confirmed...This story will exceed 40 chapters. Would you people follow it that far, or would I just be wasting my time? I will finish this nonetheless. Thanks for all the reviews and remember, in this story NOTHING is as it seems. You've seen that before.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 35. ALL THAT REMAINS**

Kovu ripped the dog tags of the traitor off his body, then turned to face Kopa, who he knew had rage boiling inside him, or was he just getting used to this sort of thing? What more could Gonzo/Heckler take from him? Kovu shook his head, he gotten to them all. Gonzo was the one responsible for his mental breakdown, and the death of Simba, which hurt him equally. One day, he vowed to himself, Friedrich Heckler/Hans Von Gonzo _would _pay, whether that be in this life or the next.

Kovu slipped a new magazine into Simba's Desert Eagle and sighed. Who the hell did he trust now? The marines were all dead, and only God knew which of the air force boys were working for D-S and which weren't. He felt like shooting everybody. But he knew, that he would have to get whoever was left that he _did _know and trust, and rethink. He knew that Gonzo would assume he was dead, so how could he exploit that?

"Come on...we need to get to the safe-house, Gonzo will still be cleaning up there." Kovu said to Kopa, who he was sure was pretty much the last person he _could _trust.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch...even if I go with him, I WILL kill him." Kopa vowed and cocked his pistol.

"Amen to that. He just gave himself a death sentence." Kovu said, but deep down, he was unsure. If Gonzo/Heckler had planned every single move this far, surely that would mean that he would have looked three moves ahead right? And have something waiting for him? No, to Gonzo Kovu was dead. That was the supposed checkmate.

Kovu walked over to Kopa so that they could discuss their next move, but they were interrupted before they started. They were interrupted by a scream. The scream belonged to Kiara. Kovu sprung up instantly and they both loaded their weapons, before heading towards the door where the two dead guards stood. They hurriedly kicked them out the way and forced the doors open.

In the hallway, to more air force soldiers walked, and Kovu instantly saw the scars on the neck and their bloodshot eyes that he before wouldn't have noticed. They approached him casually, still thinking they were in disguise.

"Uh sir, there's something we need to discuss with you out back..." The lead soldier said. Kovu had none of it, if he went out the back with them they would kill him. Both Kovu and Kopa raised their pistols in unison and fired.

"Great, so who IS on our side now?" Kopa asked angrily.

"Nobody. Just get Nala quickly, and I'll get Kiara. Then we're out of here. Trust NO ONE." Kovu ordered him and broke into a sprint.

Kopa continued on to where Nala was staying, but Kovu continued on to outside, where he heard Kiara scream. Kiara was his first priority. He took a left in the hallway and ran into two more air force personnel, this time he didn't bother checking for signs and just shot them. It wasn't worth the risk.

He came up to the two glass doors that led out to the runway, and pushed hardly, but they wouldn't open. _Locked...come on god damn it! _Kovu pounded on the door and pushed it harder and harder, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, on the other side of the thick glass door, Delta-shadow soldiers appeared, rifles bared. They raised their rifles, and Kovu hit the deck as fast as he could.

_RATATATATAT...SMASH!_

The soldiers shot up the glass, sending shards everywhere. Kovu rolled along the ground and fired several shots as he did so, hitting each of his targets on the other side. Once they were all dead or had retreated, Kovu saw his opportunity and crawled through the smashed glass door created by the enemy's machine guns.

He quickly dusted himself off and looked up, to see s group of D-S soldiers running across the runway, carrying several pieces of equipment and one prisoner...Kiara. _No! _Kovu thought and fired several shots at them with his pistol, but he was way too far away to get an accurate shot on target. The noise got him attention thought. _Bad move buddy._

A few of the D-S soldiers sprung into action and fired stray shots at him, forcing Kovu to take cover behind the landing gear of a grounded AC-130E gunship. The bullets made sickening _TWANG _sounds as they ricocheted away, and Kovu swore loudly as he was pinned down. He managed to turn his head and see the D-S soldiers forcing Kiara towards a UH-1 helicopter. _No...Don't worry Kiara, I'm coming for you. _Kovu thought and tried to move himself, but was constantly shot at.

Kiara was being shoved onto the chopper when she finally saw what her kidnappers were shooting at; Kovu. She resisted them for one last moment and screamed out to him.

"Kovu please...HELP ME!" She screamed out, and Kovu heard her cry.

He fired several rounds at the soldiers, but they didn't even flinch. They just kept shooting, stopping him from going to Kiara's aid. _No, no, no! _ Kiara's scream was soon drowned out by the sound of rotors, and the choppers started airlifting the Delta-Shadow soldiers away, with Kiara captive. The shooting soldiers then started to peel away and rush to a helicopter to evacuate them. Kovu immediately jumped out of his cover and began sprinting towards the runway, with the wind blowing in his face. It was like even Mother Nature herself was trying to stop Kovu from saving Kiara. He went as fast as he could, but wasn't fast enough.

The choppers took to the skies, and Kiara's cries now became audible again. Kovu screamed in rage and fired several hopeless shots at the helicopters, but the bullets didn't have the range or the power to damage them. Kovu didn't care; he just emptied his magazine in pure frustration and when he was done, slammed the Desert Eagle down onto the ground, out of breath from screaming. He cried tears of rage and dropped to his knees with his head in his hands. Was there any more Gonzo could do to him? He had taken what he cared about most in the world; his wife and son. And then there was everything else, and everything he had done to everyone in the whole damned country.

Kovu sobbed on knees for several minutes next to his smoking gun until he felt a gentle, woman's hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Nala. She looked at him with a sorrowful gaze and embraced him. Kovu hugged onto her and cried into her, Nala cradled him back and forth like he was a child and she was his mother.

"Ssh...I know...My child was on that chopper too." Nala tried to comfort him. It was true; Kiara was her daughter. How was Nala so emotionless? Was it the experience?

"He's taken just as much from me as he has from you. My husband, my child, my best friend and comrade of several years and...My grandson. But you can't let anger control you Kovu." Nala whispered. Kopa stood in the background, not daring to say a word.

"Not let it control me? I'm sick of these stupid fucking games he's playing with us...I'm going to rip that son of a bitch's head off and shit down his neck. Then Shenzi and Ed...one at a fucking time. I'm not doing this tactically anymore. This is fucking personal." Kovu growled.

"That's just what he wants Kovu. Our next move is going to the safe-house and getting all we can find there." Nala told him. Why wasn't she in charge? Kovu didn't know.

Kovu took a few moments to try and compose himself. He took several deep breaths and refocused. Kiara would come back in time. He knew Gonzo wouldn't kill her just yet.

"Right...get everyone ready to move out." Kovu said but Kopa shook his head sadly.

"We are ready to move out." He sighed.

"What do you mean?" Kovu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This is it pal. You, me and Nala." Kopa informed him and Kovu shook his head in disbelief.

"No...there has to be someone..." Kovu stuttered, but Kopa cut him off.

"Nope, we're all that's left. Simba: K.I.A, Kiara: M.I.A, Haradion: K.I.A, Lorenzo: K.I.A, Vitani: K.I.A, EJ: K.I.A, the rest of the Marine platoon: K.I.A and Gonzo's compromised. You get it? It's just us three." Kopa said angrily. All of those deaths stung him. Each and every one of them.

"Fucking perfect. So how are we supposed to even threaten them now?" Kovu said sarcastically and Nala cleared her throat.

"The power of a nation is not just in it's head..." She said softly and Kovu growled at her.

"What's that supposed to mean? Enough of the fucking riddles, we're here to win a war and avenge our family members, not play twenty questions." Kovu snarled and Nala shrugged. He would learn in time.

"Now come on! We're going to the safe-house...Saddle up people!" Kovu said and gestured towards Kopa's motorcycle. He was hoping that there would be a living HYENA or D-S member there so he could put them in as much physical pain as possible.

_VROOM!_

Kovu clamped down the accelerator aggressively and headed towards the safe house, which was not more than a half-hour ride away. Kopa and Nala had managed to cram themselves on the back of the Harley-Davidson Fatboy. Kovu drove with such a fire in his eyes that it would be too violent to describe. He had been pushed to the edge.

_Half an hour later_

Kovu gunned the bike through the forest until he came across signs of a war. There was a large clearing with bullet marks everywhere, and spent shells littering the ground. Kovu pulled the bike to a halt and began investigating, with Nala and Kopa close behind him. They fanned out in the forest to cover more ground, and found that some of the fires from the explosions still hadn't burnt out yet. Kopa soon came across the legs of the marine that had been blown in half by the bouncing betty mine.

"Kovu I've found half of an unidentified marine!" Kopa yelled out.

"Really? Which half?" Kovu yelled back.

"Well he ain't saying much..." Kopa said, examining the bloody pair of legs lying in the leaves.

"Well then find me the half that does!" Kovu snarled back.

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**^^ Gotta love quotes like that eh? Anyway, don't forget to review and/or vote for your favorite OC of the whole series!**


	37. The Chessboard

**Sooo sorry about the long update, i have a few reasons. One was that I had this shitty economics assignment to do and another was i struggled to find the motivation for this chapter. This chapter is kind of sad, but no one else dies (I'm starting to run out of main characters) it's sad for another reason. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

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**CHAPTER 36: THE CHESSBOARD**

Kopa left the bloody pair of legs and continued searching the forest. Kovu followed close behind, a lot more angry and determined than Kopa was. Kopa had lost so many people close to him in the last few weeks, that it didn't seem to hurt anymore when he lost someone. He had lost his father, his spiritual little brother, his only love, his half-sister and several pieces of himself. Pain was a sign of weakness leaving the body, and that weakness seemed to have left him, if it was a weakness at all.

Kopa wondered what they were going here in the first place, what did they expect to achieve? Gonzo would have been sure to kill any survivors, and he definitely had taken the nuke and hard-drive. So what was left for them here? The only logical answer was to visit those who had died. But he couldn't bare to see Haradion in that state; dead, burnt and maimed.

"Kovu, what exactly are we looking for?" Kopa asked.

"Whatever we can find." Kovu replied bluntly. "Have you got a motion sensor or a radiation meter?"

"Nope. You said to lose all of those, and what good would that do anyway?" Kopa shook his head and led them out of the forest, and onto the gravel road leading up to the estate.

There was debris and craters all over the road' some pieces were still burning from the air strikes not too long ago. The stench of smoke filled Kopa's nose, and he looked up to see large columns of smoke in the horizon, no more than a few hundred meters away. Kopa sniffed the air again and made out the smell of gasoline. _Napalm..._Kopa thought.

"This way." Kovu said and led them up to the estate, which was half in ruins.

All the doors and windows were smashed down, as were some walls and all of the balconies. The whole scene was riddled with bullet casings. No one said a word as Kovu stepped through the maze of dead bodies and debris. A few weeks ago, Kopa would have been sick at the gore around him, but that had all changed. Nothing could reverse the things he had seen.

They stumbled their way to the north side of the estate, which was twice as bad as the south. Kovu solemnly walked over the bodies of the dead marines, and plucked off their dog-tags one by one. He eventually came across a small metal barricade opposite a pile of wooden wreckage and shrapnel from a balcony explosion. Kovu instantly recognized one of the young soldier's faces.

"Cameron..." He whispered softly and turned the man's head over, to reveal a clean bullet-hole on his forehead, right above his eyes that were still open in terror.

Kovu sadly shut the eyes of the dead warrior and thought; _it's okay Private, you're in a better place now. Don't be scared. _He pulled of the dog-tags and searched the body. He came across the man's wallet, which contained photographs of his girlfriend back in Prideland city, woman he would never see again. But that wasn't the sort of thing Kovu was looking for.

Sure enough, he came across a pair of Infrared night-vision goggles Cameron had smuggled into the mission. _Perfect. _Kovu thought and switched them on.

"What are you doing?" Kopa asked him.

Kovu didn't reply and held the goggles up his eyes, before changing a setting that allowed him to pick up heat signatures. He scanned all the bodies with the goggles, hoping to find someone alive. _Anyone, _even if it was a HYENA soldier. But he saw nothing. Everyone was dead. But then suddenly Kovu heard a grunting from behind him...

Everyone spun around in alarm, with their pistols bared. Kovu wielded Simba's Desert Eagle, Nala had Weaver's old M1911 and Kopa held his usual Glock. The sound was coming from that pile of wooden shards and debris, and was getting louder. Kovu held up his Infrared goggles and looked at the debris. There was some sort of heat signature inside; a trapped human. Kovu held up his fist, gesturing for Nala and Kopa to be ready to give him some covering fire if needed.

Kovu holstered the pistol and yanked away a long wooden plank that was half burnt, along with pieces of brick and mortar. Eventually, he revealed a dusty and beaten face under the wreckage. Vitani...and she was alive. Against all odds.

"TANI!" Kopa shouted and seemingly shoved Kovu out of the way.

Powered by a new strength, Kopa shoved away all the remains of the balcony, freeing Vitani. Before she could even move, Kopa pressed his lips down on hers and kissed her long and hard. Kovu let him for a moment before yanking him back.

"Give her some air." Kovu instructed and gave Kopa that '_she's my sister' _glare.

"Ugh..." Vitani groaned as was pulled to her feet by Kopa.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Kovu asked. Vitani shook her head.

"Still kicking it 'lil bro. Why are you down here? Did you get the nuke and intel?" Vitani asked, completely clueless after being knocked out for the last few hours.

"Uh...no." Kopa said, trying not to get into the full details right now.

"What do you mean no?" Vitani asked and raised an eyebrow.

"To make a long story short...Gonzo. It was him all along, he's been playing us and HYENA like pawns the entire time. He's got the nuke, and the rest of the marines are dead. This estate was just his chessboard." Kovu said calmly, and hoped Vitani would take it well.

"That son of a bitch...When you said all the marines...you meant all of them?" Vitani said, shocked.

"Yeah."

"But what about EJ and Haradion, surely they..." Vitani's voice trailed off.

"No, they didn't. Gonzo again." Kovu felt bad talking like this about EJ, as in his own words; he would never sleep, die, or bleed.

"What about Lorenzo?" Vitani asked, with wide-open eyes now.

"K.I.A"

Vitani sighed and began pulling off the crossed ammunition belts on her body, as well as undoing the not in her shirt so she could rip of a piece to bandage her wounds. That RPG blast had hit her pretty hard.

"Vitani...What happened here? You need to tell us." Kovu said seriously.

"I don't know. We were defending the safe-house, and the north side was getting hit pretty hard so I went to help them hold out until the extraction arrived. I was laying off covering fire with the M249 until they shot an RPG at me, then everything went black really. I don't know where everyone else went." Vitani recited the events, and Kovu scratched his head.

"Where was the extraction point?" Kovu asked. Vitani pointed behind him to the left.

"A few hundred meters that way." She said and continued treating her wounds.

Kovu looked behind him, it was where the columns of smoke were. He growled under his breath and gestured for them to start moving. Kopa picked up Vitani and carried her, as she was unable to walk well with the shrapnel wounds in her leg. Kovu picked up the pace, and started moving towards the still burning vegetation.

The stench of rotting flesh and gasoline filled the air, as he carefully made his way through the napalm stricken forest. He had to check every step; otherwise he might step in something burning. Bodies were splayed out across the floor, all brutally burnt. It reminded Kovu of the scenes he saw on documentaries about the atomic bombings of 1945. If he didn't fulfill his task, then the whole country would look like this.

Finally, the four of them made it out of the site of the napalm strike and started down towards the clearing at the bottom of a hill. Kovu let out a breath of air that he had been holding in since they entered the toxic burning area, which was the cause of most of the smoke. They continued silently until a voice broke out.

"Kovu!" The voice shouted out.

The voice didn't belong to any of them, and Kovu spun around anxiously. He drew his pistol in case and yelled out himself.

"Whoever you are, identify!" He yelled out, still trying to find the source of the voice.

"It's me!" The feminine voice shouted out. Kovu just rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, 'me' could be anyone!" He shouted back, and tried again to look for the person that was shouting.

"Lorenzo! It's Lorenzo sir!" The voice shouted back. Kovu's eyes opened wide; another survivor, and one of great use to him.

"Lorenzo? Where are you?" He yelled out again, not bothering to look for her.

"Hanging in there." Lorenzo said jokingly, and Kovu's gaze was instantly drawn upward.

Lorenzo was caught in a tree, hanging by her parachute. Kovu saw her and drew a knife.

"Stay still! I'm coming to get you out of there!" He yelled up at her and began climbing the tree with the knife in his hands.

He struggled up the trunk with the knife in his mouth and finally managed to lean across and cut the cord of her parachute, sending her tumbling to earth. Kopa quickly put Vitani down and caught her; luckily she seemed uninjured. Kovu jumped down after her and was quick to start questioning.

"How are you alive? What happened?" He asked quickly.

"Well, I was waiting for contact from EJ and Harry, then my squadron turned on me. They just shot me out of the sky, and I assume they think I'm dead." Lorenzo said and dusted herself off, before growling when she saw her smashed aviator sunglasses.

"Anyway, where's everyone else? What happened to you Vitani?" Lorenzo asked, making Kopa and Kovu's stomachs drop.

They both knew how close she was to Agent Harry Dion, and there would be no easy way of telling her what happened, especially when she normally had such little control over her emotions; the aggressive ones at least. So they decided to refrain from telling the 'full' truth.

"M.I.A" Kopa lied, and Kovu raised an eyebrow at him.

Lorenzo's expression changed from one of relief to one of despair, and she sighed. _Please be okay, please..._ She thought about Haradion, and started walking to the old extraction point with the others. Her heart was practically in her throat, and she hoped, just hoped, that she wouldn't cough it up if she found the body of the only boy she loved.

Kovu felt a dark feeling as he approached the clearing, and gulped. Lorenzo would find out what happened sooner or later, as would Nala about EJ, but Nala had much better control over herself, and was much older and wiser. Not to mention she had lost so much that it practically wouldn't hurt anymore.

Kovu felt every step beneath him, and saw the remnants of the clearing for the first time. He bit his lip, and turned his head towards a shallow ditch, where two maimed bodies lay. He moved towards them, one step at a time, and felt the feeling of dread grow with each step he took.

He stepped off the grass and onto the dirt of the ditch, where EJ and Haradion lay next to each other, still grasping each other's wrist tightly. They were Brothers in arms, right to the end. It made Kopa feel bad, EJ was a better big brother to Haradion then he would ever be.

Behind Kovu, Lorenzo pushed her way to the front of the group.

"What the hell is...no...no...NOOO!" She screamed out when she saw the bodies and sprinted up to them.

Kopa tried to restrain her, but she charged right of his grip and at the bodies of her mentor and lover. Kovu didn't restrain her.

Lorenzo skidded down onto her knees and managed to recognize the burnt face of Haradion. Tears streamed down her face and she put a hand on his cheek.

"No...no...please no. Harry you can't be dead!" She said and shook his body.

"COME ON! PLEASE!" She yelled out, to now avail and burst into a full fit of sobs.

She collapsed down onto Dion's chest and hugged his lifeless body. It was still burning hot from the flames, but she felt no pain. The pain of his death seemed to flush it out. Kopa watched with tears in his eyes as Lorenzo cried into his best friend's body. Haradion deserved better than this, as did EJ. Lorenzo just couldn't keep it together, and hoped that her tears could put out the embers on her lover's body, but she knew that they couldn't put out the fire of their love.

Meanwhile, Nala approached EJ's body, holding back tears in her eyes. EJ was her last friend on this earth, and felt heartbroken now that he was gone. There was so much that she wished she could have said to him, and she also wished that he could've gone out in a more suitable fashion. He was the unsung hero of the Pridelands, from the civil war, The Battle of Prideland City, the Battle of The Outlands, and everything in this twisted campaign, EJ was always there to selflessly fight for them. Nala remembered like it was yesterday when she first met the seventeen year old version of him when she joined the PRF, and how the first thing he said to her was "_Looks like Cinderella with a sniper rifle...I like her already." _Not to mention all the jokes they had cracked at each other in their friendship.

She bent down and looked into his dilated eyes, which were still wide open. _He's staying true to his promise...He never rests. _Nala thought and pulled off his eyepatch.

"See clearly my friend..." She said sadly removed the eyepatch before closing his eyes; both of them.

She then tore his dog-tags off and stood up. Looking over the body of Captain Eugene Jones, the greatest warrior the Pridelands had seen, was no easy task. Nala sniffled and raised a hand, to give him one final tearful salute. _Rest at last, soldier of the Pridelands..._

Meanwhile, Kovu scanned the area for what he had really come here for; the camera that the sniper Walcott had dropped. He saw the area of flattened grass from Gonzo's chopper, the dead body of Banzai (Which rightfully nobody cared about, at the moment at least). He was led back in the direction he came, and soon found the body of Walcott, which was not easy ti find due to the fact he wore a ghillie suit. Sure enough, he found the camera, the camera that had shown them everything. He picked it up carefully and blew the dirt off it. _There you are...Let's see what you can tell us..._

Lorenzo carried on crying, holding Haradion's burnt hand up to her cheek. Behind her, everyone else waited, unsure of whether to tell her to let him go. Kovu rejoined the others with the camera, and watched on at Lorenzo sorrowfully. _Poor thing...she's taking it pretty hard. _He slowly walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder gently.

"I know...he was a good man. We won't forget him...but for now...we need to let him go. He will be avenged." Kovu comforted her and let her cry onto his shoulder instead.

"WHO IS HECKLER?" Lorenzo half-screamed at him. Kovu pulled out Gonzo's dossier picture from his shirt pocket and tossed it onto the floor.

There seemed to be no shock on Lorenzo's face what so ever. Just a mixture of sadness and hate. She drew a combat knife out of her bomber jacket and stabbed the image of Gonzo right into the ground, and held the knife there.

"Don't worry, we'll get him..." Kovu promised and helped Lorenzo to her feet.

Lorenzo headed back with them, unsure of whether she could feel her legs at all. It was all too much.

_Meanwhile_

She watched them leave; Kovu, Lorenzo, Kopa, Nala and Vitani. And she felt sympathy for them. They had just suffered in the exact same way she had. She scanned the area with her binoculars, and came across the body of the only man she ever could say se loved. And it made her feel sick that nobody paid him any attention.

But the woman was certain of one thing...one day, Heckler would pay.

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**What do you think? You guys have been slacking off with the reviews lately so let's try to pick it up eh? A little bit of feedback does a lot for me. **


	38. The Last Hyena

**UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT:**

**"The original author of this work: JJZ-109, has been deployed by Simba and the Prideland Royal Marine Corps to counter the growing Outlander Insurgency before Zira and her regime become a major threat to the rest of the world.**

**...Nah, he just went camping. I'm filling in for him temporarily. I wonder if you will be able to tell the difference."**

**Cheers: Haradion**

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**CHAPTER 37: THE LAST HYENA**

Kovu, Nala, Vitani, Kopa and Lorenzo held their wake for their fallen comrades for a short while, the five of them mourning their friends. The King, the Queen, the Ex-Assassin, the Agent and the Pilot. Amid the fields of carnage and fallen soldiers of both sides, rank and protocol seemed worthless. Nala briefly wondered what Zazu would have said about it. After a while, she knelt down next to Dion's body, and eased the M24 rifle from its sling on Dion's back.

"Sorry Dion. If we're going to get the bastards that did this, I think I am going to need this back after all."

She looked at the barrel and saw her message that she had written what felt like years earlier. _To my friend and comrade Agent Harry Dion...Rock on. Queen Nala Taylor._ Kopa found he could no longer even look at the bodies. Vitani held his hand tightly, her own eyes stinging with tears.

"Kopa…" She said no more. She knew Dion had been like a brother to him. Kopa said nothing.

"I am going to have to tell his family… When all this is over… His mother and brother…" he murmured to himself, half conscious he was only voicing his thoughts. Vitani shook her head.

"A few years ago I was Zira's right hand – the deadliest shot in the Outlands. I should have done something." Kopa, tears in his eyes sighed and they hugged each other tight.

"What would be different if you had? What would have been different? I would have lost you as well. And I couldn't have bared that…" They stood in silence for another moment, before Kovu finally cleared his throat.

"We can give them a proper burial later. But now we have to move. Heckler has the Nuke now. And he has unlimited E115 at his disposal. We need to move – regroup and find Heckler before anyone else is killed."

He spared one last glance at the bodies. Then he bent down and scooped up a Pistol from the ground and tossed it to Lorenzo. It was Dion's Colt Python revolver.

"Leave the dead."

They departed in stony silence

Far away from them, a single lone figure stared at the departing figures through a pair of binoculars. She grimaced at the scene that had unfolded. After the King and his friends had moved out of sight, Shenzi moved from her cover to the battlefield. She glanced at the marines around them. Soldiers who had fought and died the same as her HYENA's. She had seen Kovu mourn them – personal friends of his, but what should have been a victory for her left only a bitter taste in her mouth. More people who had died because of Heckler's treachery. Eventually, she found what she had been looking for. Banzai. He was still bound and gagged as he had been when he had been taken prisoner, though had had no wounds except a single bullet hole in his head. An execution round. She knew full well that Heckler had ordered his death, she had seen it from her spot in the cover, though she had not heard what had been said, she could guess well enough. She remembered the night they had escaped the Pridelands maximum security prison. She had taken a bullet to the shoulder as they fled. Banzai had come back for her. He had shouted to her over the sound of machinegun fire to take her hand. And she had never let go. Banzai had been her friend for years, her only comfort after their capture following Scar's defeat. He had gone on to become her lover. How could he not after enduring so many years of hardship and betrayal with her? The one person who had never betrayed her, never left her behind. And now he had gone on where she couldn't follow him.

Heckler. Heckler had done this. His bloody war against the monarchy – enticing them with great plans of revenge and anarchy, of toppling a corrupt government and reinstituting a fair regime. Not one led by a deranged dictator, but by sane and rational leaders. The four of them. They had recruited others to them. Jester and Cain had been the first of many. And now that Heckler didn't need them any longer they had been exterminated more thoroughly than Zira's genocidal campaign in the Outlands. He had used them. Used them to lure the Pridelands to a single place then crushed them both at the same time. They had been thrown away like trash. Again. The world was full of people like Scar and Heckler. At least Banzai no longer had to live in it.

She knelt there by Banzai's corpse for over an hour, just crying. Crying at his death. Crying at their bitter betrayal. Crying at the whole world, and crying because she knew that no one who could have heard her would care in the slightest. Eventually she pulled herself of the ground, and trudged back away from the body of her lover. She turned back for a moment, sure she should say something. Something – anything.

"I will find Heckler. And I will kill him Banzai. I promise you that. And no King, no solider, no agent or pilot or anyone will stand between me and him. I swear to you." She said to Banzai's corpse.

With a new found sense of purpose she trudged away until she arrived at the place where she had left. The helicopter was a wreck. The escape helicopter. The one that Heckler had given them to be used 'in emergencies only.' Some kind of incendiary device had been lodged in the fuselage of the copter. It had detonated halfway through the air, and Ed had crash-landed the wreck chopper in the forest nearby. She had immediately guessed the chopper was sabotaged, and that only Heckler could have been responsible. She had ran back to warn Banzai. Just in time to see him murdered through her binoculars. Now she returned to the wreck, where Ed was propped up against a tree, a ragged piece of shrapnel buried in his chest. He was breathing hard, and they had not pulled the metal for fear he would bleed out instantly. Shenzi doubted it would make any difference. When he heard her approach, he opened his eyes and saw the look on her face.

"Banzai?" He asked. His voice was deep and ragged. Till now he had been a man of few words.

"Dead." she told him shortly. He sighed. He had clearly hoped for better news.

"I am sorry Shenzi…" he told her. Shenzi said nothing, so he continued.

"The Marines?" He ventured. Shenzi grimaced.

"Heckler. The Marines are vaporized. Same as Hyena. It's gone. Everything we worked for has been destroyed. It's over." She told him.

"What about Heckler?"

"He has the Nuke, the E115, an army, and the Pridelands in his grip to boot." Ed gave a short laugh.

"Is that all?" He said bitterly. Shenzi said nothing.

"You know where he will have taken it?" Ed asked.

"Where else?" Shenzi agreed.

"What are you going to do now?"

"Nothing. I am not going anywhere without you, and you are in no shape to move. So first we're going to try to patch you up."

"Bull Shit." Shenzi sighed.

"I am going to find heckler and kill him." Ed stared at her for a moment and then his hand shot up and gripped her by the throat, pulling her in close. His voice came out like a whisper.

"Shenzi, listen to me _very_ carefully."

"I know the risk-" She protested but Ed ignored her.

"I don't think you do – or you don't understand it. Listen to me. You know what he is capable of. He killed Banzai – a man whom he came to think of like a son and killed him the moment he didn't fit into his plans anymore. If you give him anything, show any weakness, then he will leap upon it in an instance and he will kill you without a second thought." He warned her.

"He is infinitely more dangerous than Scar and Zira put together. Take this chance. Walk away. Let it die with me and Banzai. They all think your dead, just go. Go and live. Please." He begged her. Shenzi could only shake her head.

"I have to try Ed. For Banzai. For you. This Hyena's got a few tricks left. I have outlived two Kings and lived through three wars. I can do this." Shenzi told him. Ed leant back.

"Good. Well then make sure to shoot him an extra time for me. In the eye. The right one. Just be careful. You saw what he did to Kovu when he found his weakness."

Shenzi shuddered at the memory of the incoherent babbling and blood soaked walls of King Kovu's cell. He had taken a King, and turned him into an animal in a matter of days.

"I won't Ed. I promise you, same as I promised Banzai. I will kill the Bastard."

"Aaahh." Ed sighed, his breathing becoming really hard now, the metal seemed to have punctured a lung and the blood was flowing quickly. He gave a Hysterical laugh.

"The strange thing is Shenzi… I am not scared. I spent my whole life always scared of something. Mufasa, Scar, Zira, Simba, Heckler… I am not scared now… I guess when you've lived through Hell on earth, the real deal doesn't seem quite so terrifying… _adios _Shenzi."

He breathing slowed and with a great effort he pulled the ragged shard of metal out of his chest. He gave a sigh of relief as it left him. Then he died.

Shenzi didn't cry this time. She had run out of tears. How many had Heckler killed now? Banzai and Ed were dead – Cain and Jester would have been killed by either the marines or Heckler's turncoats. There was no head to Hyena now. No leadership. She briefly considered looking for some survivors who might aid her, then decided against it. No. Let HYENA die.

Shenzi stalked away from the battlefield in the opposite direction to where Kovu and the others had gone. She had no intention of bumping into _them_ at all. The less people who knew she was alive the better.

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**What do you people think? Hopefully there will be another one or two chapters this week, as I have plenty of time on my hands. Actually I don't I am very busy, but I can properly make some time. You know the drill – please review!**


	39. Desperate Measures

**"The original author of this work, JJZ-109, is still hiding in the wilds of Australia. In his absence I have seized control of the story once again to provide you with regular updates."**

**In this Update, Kou resorts to desperate measures in order to protect those he loves.**

**Cheers: Haradion**

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**CHAPTER 38: DESPERATE MEASURES**

In the woods, another figure lay bleeding on the ground, a dozen small wounds leaking blood onto the grass around him. He remained still despite the wounds. The figure was a man, dressed in camouflage except for the Black Hyena armband that marked his wrist, a bandana with a snake on his head. It was another lie. He was no HYENA solider. He was Private Hissis. An elite marksman of Delta Shadow. Heckler had shown him the truth with E115. He had seen the evil the world had descended into and joined him to remove it. He had remained undercover, in HYENA, survived the initial assault by lurking in the shadows and picking off Marines with his Barrett M107 from his spot of cover, and by retreating as soon as a Marine victor became likely. He had struggled with his weapon until he found a group of survivors, led by Lieutenant 'Jester' Arratoon. The news they had heard was grim. Commanders Shenzi, Ed, and Banzai was MIA or KIA, and the next in the chain of command, Captain Kalin 'Cain' Jackson had been killed in the last stand. Their base was overrun and their Nuke they were all proud of was gone. Still they had survived. And then he received the transmission from Hecklers personal radio. _Der Sturz. The Fall_. Upon receiving the order, his allegiance had immediately shifted. Taking up a Machine gun, Hissis had shot Jester in the head and mowed the rest of his men relentlessly. He had made his way to Heckler's extraction point, and received in instructions to search for survivors and eliminate them, regardless of their loyalty. HYENA and Pridelander alike were enemies of Heckler's new world order. He had already picked off two marines and a HYENA? scout. Three clean head-shots.

The sight of movement a short distance away brought him back to his senses. A faint movement through the trees. Using the scope of his rifle as a telescope – his binoculars far since lost, he stared at it. The weapon was sluggish. Despite its power, its maneuverability was sorely limited as a result. Focusing the sight, he caught his breath. A Group of five marines were moving through the undergrowth ahead of him. They did not appear to have noticed him. No. Wait. Not five marines. There were at least three women with them – though that meant nothing in the Pridelands marines, only one of them seemed particularly well armed. They lacked the full body armor the other marines used. A closer inspection revealed that at least one of them was injured, and another seemed in a daze or some kind of shock. One man lead as the other brought up the rear.

He zoomed in on the leader. And his heart almost stopped. It was the Ace of Clubs. The higher ups in Hyena had jokingly referred to the Royal family as playing cards, based upon tradition of printing VIP targets on the playing cards issued to the marines. King Simba was the Ace of Spades, Queen Nala the Ace of Diamonds, Prince Kovu the King of Clubs and Princess Kiara the Ace of Hearts. Though of course, their assassination of Simba had made Kovu the King of Spades now. They had never printed the cards, though the nickname had stuck when planning operations. Now three of the most important people in the Pridelands were walking in plain sight in front of him, heedless of the danger they were in. Quickly he checked the rifle, and eased his figure on the trigger. This was too good an opportunity to miss. But who should he take out first? He stared down the sight before settling the scope on one individuals head.

Kovu moved ahead, quickly cutting his way through the undergrowth, back to where they had left the motorbike.

"Come on. We have to keep moving. We've wasted too much time as it is." He shouted back over his shoulder for the seventeenth time. Kopa sighed and trudged forwards. Lorenzo had stopped crying a long time ago and now just walked in silence, not making eye contact with either of them. Vitani limped beside him not making any comment on her injuries.

Suddenly, Kovu stopped, and Nala almost crashed into him. Kovu stopped, completely motionless.

"No…" He whispered. Nala whirled him around and stared into his eyes, which were bloodshot, red and puffy. His whole body started shaking.

"Shit!" Nala grimaced and tried to hold him still.

"Kovu, listen to me. Kovu! Concentrate."

"No! Not now!" Kovu, grimaced through gritted teeth. Then he howled as pain wracked through his body."

"What is it? What's the matter?" Lorenzo asked anxiously.

"I think it's the E115. Heckler's personal poison. Damn it! I thought this was all out of his system." Nala explained

"Oh fuck. Don't do this to me Kovu, not now, not here! Get it together, come on!" Kopa shouted, shaking him by the shoulders

Kovu tried. God knows he tried. _Kovu… my son…_ the voices returned. The voice of Scar.

"NOO! get out of me! You're not real! You're dead Scar!" Kovu cried out. The others, who could not hear the voice, looked at him desperately.

_Kovu, please don't fight me…_

"No! Get out of my head…" he cried. Slowly, he lost control of his body. he tried to resist as his hand moved towards the Desert Eagle on his hip. The weapon that Simba had wielded. And the weapon that had murdered Mufasa.

"No…" he tried to shout a warning to his friends, but the rest of his friends, so intent on his face, didn't notice his hand contract, and pulled back the hammer. His hand shook as he raised the Pistol.

_Cla-Chik..._

"I will not!"He cried trying in vain to stop his hand moving.

_Kovu Listen to me! I want to help you but I can't help you if you keep fighting me!_

_ "_Huh?"

Suddenly, he knew the voice. It _wasn't_ the voice of the Traitor Dictator. Time seemed to slow. In the distance a loud bang echoed. He watched as Kopa face turned from desperation to pure horror at the sound. He tried to move, but couldn't make his body move quickly enough.

And suddenly, his whole body was moving. A Bullet whizzed past where his head had been microseconds before, his arm snapped up bring the gun to bear, lifting up the Desert Eagle. The weapon of both his fathers. He pulled the trigger. A single soldiery shot rang out, through the trees to the source of the sniper shot that had nearly debrained him.

"Arragh!" a voice cried out in pain.

Hissis shouted as the bullet ripped through his shoulder tearing through the muscle.

Kovu felt the presence leave him. That was no E115 induced hallucination. It was far more real. In an instant he had regained control of his body.

_Thanks Simba…_

Then a terrible rage possessed him. Shouting, he ran through the trees to where the Hyena lay wounded. Hissis' head swam, as he recovered. He made to stand up and flee but Kovu stamped on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"You weren't going anywhere where you?" He asked icily. Kopa caught up with Kovu and stared at the injured HYENA soldier.

"How the hell -" He began, wondering how Kovu had known where to shoot, where to move and where to run, when only seconds before he had seemingly been in the middle of another hallucination caused by the E115. Vitani cut him off when she arrived, closely followed by Nala and Lorenzo. The sting of the deaths of EJ and Haradion was still keenly felt, and Kovu lost it. The fact that he was even alive implied he was one of Heckler's turncoats. That meant he had played a part, no matter how small in Dion and EJ's deaths.

"You Scum!" Kovu shouted, and raised his Pistol to shoot him in the head, to finish it. Kopa caught his arm.

"We need him alive! He may know where Heckler is!" Kopa protested. Kovu nodded, regained control of himself and pointed the weapon at the HYENA.

"Tell us where Heckler is, or I will make you experience hell on earth before sending you there." Kovu said angrily. He had had enough of the playing by the books.

Hissis laughed. Fools.

"Long Live Delta-Shadow!"He shouted out. Then bit into the cyanide capsule hidden in this back molar. Kovu cursed, but Kopa reach forward, hooking a finger inside his mouth. he tried to bite him, but Kopa punched him in the stomach.

"Oh no you don't. I am not falling for that again!" Kopa said as he ripped the capsule out of his mouth. Hissis was looking nervous now. Escape and suicide had both failed. A clicking caught all of their attention. Lorenzo stood behind them. And she was pointing her revolver straight at his head. Kovu punched him in the face.

"Listen to me you Mother-Fucker. I am not in a particularly good mood. I just found out that few very good friends of mine were killed today – that sort of thing makes me a bit less forgiving."

"You can't hurt me you Bastard. I am a prisoner of War." The snake said. Kopa grimaced. Now he had done it.

"Who the hell are you?" Kovu shouted.

"What is Delta Shadow?"

"Where the hell is Heckler going?"

"What is he going to do next?"

Hissis remained silent through all of the questions.

"I say we waste the bastard. He's never going to talk!" Vitani said, leveling her rifle at his face.

"He is going to talk! He's not going to have a choice!" Kovu shouted adamantly. He punched him again in the face, then grabbed him by the shirt.

"Kopa, Tani, hold him down. He looked up at Vitani. He is going to tell us everything he knows or we are going to make him tell us. Outlander style." They complied, as Kovu pulled at the assassin's shirt, ripping the fabric, crushing it into a ball and ramming it down Hissis' throat. Hissis struggled, as Kovu pulled a hip flash of whiskey from inside his jacket. Nala blinked in surprise but said nothing.

"Last chance motherfucker." He told him. Hissis remained silent, but still struggled as Vitani and Kopa held him down. Lorenzo and Nala watched passively from the sidelines.

"Very well." Kovu said and then poured the scotch over the cloth and Hissis' face.

If Hissis had not struggled before, he was now. Writhing and rolling trying to break free as the scotch burned his throat. They were water-boarding him. Water-boarding him with bloody whiskey. the whiskey burned his throat, searing and downing him. Nala said nothing. Lorenzo winced, but made no objections as Kovu proceeded to torture him. After a few seconds, Kovu stopped, ripped the gag out of the man's mouth. He gasped for air spluttering, coughing and choking. Kovu lowered his pistol once again.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"Hissis. Private Hissis." He admitted, still coughing.

"What the hell is Delta-Shadow?" Kovu demanded again. Hissis hesitated, but Kovu pulled out the scotch again.

"Sleeper agents imbedded in the Pridelands Military and in HYENA." Hissis said at last. Kopa looked up at Kovu sharply; Kovu knew this – who else had turned on EJ and Dion? Why else had Lorenzo's own Pilots turn on her?

"So you work directly for Heckler? Answer me Bastard!" Kovu shouted again. He turned to Lorenzo.

"Lorenzo, may I please borrow Dion's Pistol?" Lorenzo handed over the revolver without question. Kovu checked the wheel, and loaded one bullet into place. The he span the wheel around with his thumb.

"How lucky are you feeling today? Do you know what this is, you Fucker? This pistol belonged to one of those good friends I mentioned earlier. And you know what? You seemed eager enough to die a moment ago with that Cyanide, so let's give it a try." He placed the gun in the Sniper's hand, then stamped his foot down on it hard, keeping it aimed at Hissis' own head.

"Do you work directly for Heckler?" Again the man said nothing, so still keeping his foot on the barrel of the gun, Kovu leant down, and jabbed the barrel of his own Desert Eagle into the wound on the man's shoulder. The man screamed.

"Pull the trigger." He jabbed harder. Eventually.

_Cla-Chik…_

The gun fired, but the round was empty.

"Do you work for Heckler?" Kovu asked again. He made as if to attack the wound again, and the man yelped before he had got there.

"Ok, ok! Yes I work for Heckler.

"What is he planning?"

"He's going to blow you bastards to he-AAARH!" Kopa looked at Kovu in surprise, but it was Nala who had moved, driving the Sniper rifle into the open wound on his shoulder.

"Tell us where my Daughter is you Son of a Bitch!"

"He took the Whore. You'll never see the bitch agai'- AARH!" Nala stabbed downward into the wound causing it to bleed heavily.

Kovu took back the revolver, and loaded another two bullets into the empty chambers, bringing the total up to three. The man looked terrified. Kovu jammed the gun back into his hand.

"Where is Heckler?"

"I don't kno -"

"WHERE IS HE?"

"Shit, I don't know!"

"Pull the trigger."

"Fuck you."

"Pull the Fucking Trigger!"

_Cla-Chik…_

Hissis sighed with relief.

"Please…"

"Where is Heckler?"

"Oh Fuck…"

"Where the Fuck is he!"

"All he said was he was going back home!"

"Where the fuck is that?"

"Where it all began!"

"WHERE WAS THAT?"

"I don't fucking know!"

"Pull the trigger."

"Fuck you!"

"Pull it!" Kovu stabbed down into the wound with his own gun.

_Cla-Chik –__** BANG!**_

Blood spattered everywhere. Hissis slumped back, his head blown open by the high caliber pistol round. Kovu sighed. Kopa threw his gun down in frustration.

"Well that's just fucking great! What do we know? A Whole lot of nothing!"

"That's not helping Kopa!" Nala snapped.

"We're Fucked." Vitani said simply. "Heckler has the Nuke, He has Kiara, and he has Fucking everything! And what the Fuck do we have?"

"We have each other still." Lorenzo said quietly. Kopa looked at her and sighed.

"Come on. We have to get out of here. We'll head north till we're out of the woods, then we'll grab the bike, and try to make it across country to the east coast. We can meet up with the HMS Ahadi and move from there. Or we can carry on North, and get the Fuck out of the Pridelands before it goes up in smoke. Your choice." Kopa said. Kovu shook his head.

"No. We get out of this wood, and then head west. Back to Site 428." Kopa looked at him in surprise.

"What? That's forty leagues in the wrong direction!" Kopa protested.

"Kopa, I am the King, it's my decision. If you want to go east, then go, but don't expect me to follow you there. There is no way we can get all of us on the bike, so leave it here."

"It's brand new." Kopa grumbled. Kovu raised his eyebrow.

"Priorities? Besides who's going to nick it? It'll be here weeks from now."

So they began the hold walk back

_Meanwhile, back in the Pridelands_

Heckler looked around the Lab. It exactly how he remembered it. Where it all began so many years ago. Where he had been mutilated and the man who he had looked up to as a father had been murdered. At the time he had refused to use the Chemical he had great, deciding that he had done the right thing… that Scar had been evil and needed to be denied access to such a weapon whatever the cost. He had almost believed the cost had been worth it.

And then when Simba had returned, he had rejoiced in the fact that an evil had been overthrown. That had not lasted long. He had been re-imprisoned on charges of manufacturing Chemical weapons. The very weapons he had suffered to destroy, that Ivan Dimitrov he _died_ to destroy. Simba had been no different from his uncle. He had come to realize that day that he had been wrong. Scar had not been evil, nor had Simba really. They had behaved identically, but one was considered a dictator, the other a hero. In the end he decided, that Evil was simply what you made of it. This lab had once been used to created instruments of death. Now it held enough chemical weapons in it to destroy an entire country. He sat down opposite his visitor, who was struggling against bonds.

"It's an interesting chemical… E115." He told the person handcuffed to the chair before him. He leaned forward and ran a hand through her hair. She flinched away from him and his touch, so he continued.

"In small dosage… It removes the most crippling of pain…" He said, in his thick German accent. "And yet… its true strength is not in its lethality, but the fact that it conjures up the worst fears and nightmares from the back of your skull." The person before him said nothing. He sighed.

"Do you know what your Husband saw?" This caused a stir. Finally a reaction.

"What did you do to Kovu, Gonzo?" Kiara asked him. Heckler chuckled.

"Gonzo is just another mask my dear. Gonzo was a dear old friend of Rafiki's, who has long since departed this life… With a little help on my part. As for what I did to Kovu, I played with his mind. All those months ago, before I even met you officially… I cut open his Scar as he slept, several nights a week." he smiled at her look of surprise. "He never told you did he? To scared of looking weak before his wife. The fool believed that Scar was growing inside him. It reached a point when he could no longer sleep. So when I was made your Doctor, I prescribed some pills. Very effective pills."

He held up one of the low dosage E115 capsules for her to see.

"You Bastard…" She uttered. Heckler smiled again.

"He saw the worst imaginable things… His family, his home, in ruins… at the hands of his own son. A son who was capable of finishing what he started, as Zira's assassin. In his own mind he was tormented by the spirits of Scar and Zira. It drove him mad after a while…"

Kiara spat at him, but he gave no reaction.

"I wonder what you would see?" Heckler asked. Kiara froze, staring at the pill in his hands.

"Best not give me a reason to find out shall we? Oh and for the record: I have absolutely no idea what the effect would be on your child." He said.

"Coward!" Kiara shouted at him in response to the unspoken threat. Heckler jerked, and slapped her across the face.

"You still everything is going to be alright Princesses? That someone will come and save you? Who do think will come? The Marines?" He laughed. PI1? Without leadership, without equipment? What about your friends? That dashing EJ? Young Agent Dion?" Kiara said nothing. Heckler laughed again realizing the golden truth.

"Oh… You don't know do you? I have news for you Princess. The Marines have been destroyed: Not a single solider remains active inside the Pridelands. Those still alive are routed and hopeless." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "And I wouldn't think your friends are going to save you. Vitani fell during the combat to RPG fire… Lorenzo was shot down by her own pilots and I killed EJ and Dion personally when they so kindly handed over the Nuke to me. And watched them burn alive…" Kiara recoiled in Horror.

"No…" she whispered. "Liar!" She shouted. Heckler laughed again.

"Why would I lie? The truth is much more fun… No one is coming to help you." He turned to leave.

"Is Kovu alive?" She asked as he left. He smiled, but said nothing as he opened the door to leave.

"Bastard! You coward!" She shouted. This time Heckler turned and shouted back.

"Coward? I am no coward! I have seen more of hell than any of you!" And with that he took out the E115 Pill had had used to intimidate her earlier, and swallowed it whole. Kiara looked in horror as his body shook for moment, When his eyes opened they were bloodshot red but he was staring triumphantly at her.

"Do you know what I see Princess?" He asked her. She stared back him. He leaned forwards and hissed in her ear.

"Absolutely nothing. I fear Nothing. There are no demons in my mind Kiara. I have seen them all in the real world for there to be anything to frighten me here." He tapped his head. He walked out of the room flicking the light as he did so, plunging the room into total darkness.

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**You Like? You know the drill – please review etc etc. Reviews are needed to power the Hamster wheels that run the computers on which this is written. If I don't get enough reviews, the hamsters are vaporized to power the computers instead. Every time you don't review, you vaporize an innocent hamster! Do you want to explain to JJZ-109 where all his hamsters have gone when he gets back? If not, then please review! Think of the hamsters!**


	40. It Starts

**I'M BACK! Sorry people I was on a rather interesting camping trip where electronics were unavailable so I couldn't update, but a fucking HUGE thanks to Haradion for updating for me using my account while I was away. Yes that's right, I wasn't screwing around the last two chapters, I actually wasn't here. I placed my trust in Haradion for the five or so days I was unavailable, and he did VERY well. I actually felt like reviewing my own story. You might notice a few references to his story _Judgment_****(****Highly recommended) ****in there. And in case a few of you were wondering, his account was made before my character was named after him. The actual name derives from a fictional language featured in _The Lord Of The Rings. _Anyway, on last chapter, no hamsters were harmed.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 39: IT STARTS**

Kopa gunned the motorcycle back to Site 428, alone. He felt every single movement of the bike under the sweaty grip of his worn hands, every single bump, and every single flaw in the gravel road. He wore no helmet, but that didn't seem to worry him, even at the speed he was traveling. Falling off was the least of his concerns. He needed to quickly get to Site 428, grab a vehicle out of Simba's car collection and pick up the others as they walked back. At least this way he got to keep his motorcycle.

Adrenaline flushed out the pain in his hands, and the pain of small particles hitting his face. There was so much pain and problems in his life now that little things like those became normality. In his own thoughts: he'd _run out of shits to give. _Kopa growled under his breath, not just because of the little pains, but the big pains that still plagued his mind from events earlier that day. Friedrich Heckler WOULD pay, in this life nor the next. Kopa actually made himself a promise, that if and when this was all over, he would see to it that he killed the son of a bitch personally.

Slowly, the spot on the horizon that was Site 428 grew larger and larger. The satellite dish stuck out from the grey concrete roof, and he could make out the scars on the earth where Simba's old test track used to be before the Outlanders threatened. The area had now been converted into an airstrip.

As he neared the bunker/warehouse, he took one last look behind him. The unoccupied space slowly ran into the Pride Rock national park, and Kopa could see the famous landmark, along with the equally famous 'Five Stones' formation to its north. _Shame how trouble within mankind can destroy such natural beauty. _Kopa thought, wondering what the nuke would do to the Pridelands' last wildlife preserve.

He didn't decelerate as he neared S428, and slammed on the breaks as soon as he was close enough. He didn't bother standing the bike up, he just let it crash to the ground and charged towards the door; which he kicked down relentlessly.

The bunker seemed hauntingly abandoned, and the only real color was the faint bloodstains on the floor from the wounded marines that were here a few days ago. Kopa cringed at the sight but kept moving. He jogged down some steps that led to an underground garage, but again was stopped at the door. This one had a DNA identification lock, which was the height of security tech. It made sense why Simba would have it, as due to the Site's proximity to the Outlands, the Outlanders could have easily gotten to the priceless cars and used them to persuade Al-Qaeda into giving them a weapons shipment. But that was all in the past, now he had to focus on getting past this door.

Kopa paced backwards and forwards, frustrated. Simba was dead, and his body a long way from him. How would he get it? Did he have a family member that would have similar DNA or something of use? Yes, he had Kopa himself.

The revelation hit Kopa and almost looked skywards to thank Simba, to thank him for his very creation. Kopa then drew his knife and slit his finger so that a drop of blood rolled out onto the security pad. _Come on...please work. _

After a few moments, the pad's screen flashed a greenish color and an electronic voice said:

"_Welcome, your majesty." _

Kopa grinned and after the hissing of air from the door, it slid open and all of the warehouse's lights flicked on. Kopa shielded his eyes from the sudden light but he quickly adjusted. When the newly-lit world came into focus, Kopa felt his jaw drop.

Every single nice car he could have imagined was before him, these included timeless pieces of history, and the most modern supercars and luxury cars. It was almost tempting to take one of them instead, but Kopa knew he needed something that could take five people. He was instantly drawn to a black Range Rover Evoque, the top of its class. He quickly pulled the door open to find the keys neatly folded on the driver's seat. Kopa wasted no time in starting the car and guiding it towards the motion activated garage door.

Just as he turned towards the gate, something at the back of the warehouse caught his eye. He quickly turned his head to see a red speck at the back of the warehouse. Slowly, it came into focus. _No...surely he doesn't have one of those. Wow. Just wow. _Kopa quickly snapped out of his daze and refocused. He still had to pick up the others.

_Meanwhile, Pride Rock National Park_

Kovu, Nala, Vitani and Corporal Lorenzo walked on wearily. They had been walking for several hours now, and the sun was starting to set; which wasn't a good thing. Pride Rock National Park was notorious for its predators, which included both lions and hyenas, both of whom liked to prowl at night. Kovu gripped Simba's Desert Eagle tightly, for reassurance.

As they carried on silently Kovu began to wonder if Kopa had even made it to Site 428, and if he did when he would come for them and bring them to the bunker's safety. More importantly he wondered, where Kiara was, if she was all right, and most importantly, how he would get her back safely. He sighed as he thought about this, as whenever he seemed to take one step forward on this twisted campaign, Gonzo/Heckler would drag him fifty steps back. Now here they were, with barely any weapons, no army, no help and worst of all, no hope. Kovu knew he had to believe, as that was what Simba and Gonzo himself had told him was the key to succeeding. He could sure use a drink right now.

Kovu reached for his flask, but felt that it was empty. It was all wasted on that D-S soldier Private Benjamin Hissis. Like the lives of his soldiers, his energy and his time, it was wasted.

"Still resorting to alcohol?" Nala asked and raised an eyebrow at Kovu. Kovu shook his head and sighed.

"Wouldn't mind a drink right now. This just keeps getting worse and worse." Kovu said sadly.

"Well, drinking it off isn't the way to go, no matter the circumstances. We just need to be persistent, and never give up, no matter how bad things get." Nala advised him Kovu shook his head again.

"I know, but this time things are a little different. HYENA? They were just a side-show. Gonzo was the real deal, all along. He had this planned out from the very start. There was nothing we could do about it. And now we're here, without weapons, hope, food and personnel. Not to mention he has my wife and son. And I'm still trying to fight this guy, somehow..." Kovu went on, and looked completely defeated, even though he was still 'trying' to fight.

"Kovu...Have I ever told you the story of Simba's great grandfather, King Mohatu?" Nala asked as they walked. Everyone else was silent and the only sound to be heard was the chirping of crickets and other night sounds.

"No, but I know enough about him. He was the King of the Pridelands from 1929 to 1957 and was the one that set up the constitutional monarchy rather than an absolute one. Why? What's his relevance?" Kovu grumbled.

"Well, I find that you may relate to him quite a lot. Back in 1938, he signed a peace treaty with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany and in 1941, like us, he was betrayed. Shocked. And at the time the Pridelands were in its worst state ever, its armies were puny compared to the German Wehrmacht and were crushed at every battle as the Nazis stormed their way to Prideland City. It was in 1942 he realized that he could no longer fight the way Nazi Germany wanted him to fight, he realized that a nation's power was not only in her head or her sword, but in her _body. _The _citizens_." Nala said wisely, and finally, Kovu understood what she meant.

"He rallied his people, and he turned them onto their attackers. He made the Germans fight in a way they weren't accustomed to, and they were stunned. The man power and will of the Pridelands as a whole country showed through, and the German sixth army was forced to retreat. Once they were kicked out of Prideland City's general area, that was when we gathered the strength to chase them all the way back to Berlin. And Mohatu was in equally bad conditions Kovu, his daughter was in the custody of the SS. How did he react? More importantly, what will _you _do in your situation? Will you be like Mohatu and lead from the front, eventually winning and getting your loved one back? Or will this just be an endless, doomed struggle like how it was before Mohatu took over the war?" Nala finished the story, and Kovu started to feel just a flicker of hope race through his soul.

"I'll sort something out." Kovu replied, unsure. He didn't feel it was the right thing to do to involve the civilian population. Suddenly, he paused. He could hear the sound of a vehicle.

"Wait...Everyone hide!" He hissed through clenched teeth, as the sound of the car grew louder.

They all scrambled for cover as headlights suddenly lit up the area. They stayed behind their cover silently as the Range Rover pulled to a halt and the door swung open. Kovu pulled the hammer back on his pistol nervously.

As it turned out, it was just Kopa. _Oh its you._ He had come back for them after all. Kovu rolled his eyes in relief and stood up.

"It's us! Don't shoot!" Kopa just nodded and gestured for them to hurry up and get into the car. They didn't have time to screw around.

Kovu, Nala, Vitani and Lorenzo jumped in the car and admired the expensive and classy interior.

"Not bad...Nice car, Palladino." Lorenzo commented and Kopa bit his lip, thinking about all he had seen in the warehouse. _You have no idea._

"All right, where to boss?" Kopa asked Kovu about to plant his foot down on the gas pedal.

"Site 428." Kovu said predictably.

Deep down. Kopa kind of felt glad to return to that beauty he had seen in Simba's collection. He still wondered how Simba had gotten a hold of one of those.

_Meanwhile_

Gonzo ran a hand through Kiara's hair and forced open her eyelid, and saw that her eye had dilated. She was going to be sleeping tight for a while now. A quick sedative that he had brewed up had shut her up.

Heckler looked her over and thought; _Schmutz. _He then let her be and walked away, towards the corner of his lab; where the nuclear bomb lay. It was time.

He ignored his own chilling messages over the walls, from when he had been intoxicated by E115 and from 'patients' he had tortured with it. Most of the writing was his own, and written in his own blood. There was an array of four fingered handprints in blood all over the white tiled wall, and a message that read;

_You must ascend from the darkness_

_Fight the FEAR_

_Be set free from your life_

_Into the hell called E115_

He walked calmly towards the suitcase nuke, and flashbacks started playing through his head. From when he had almost driven his 'patients' insane, his execution of many of them, from when he told Shenzi, Banzai and Ed about HYENA, when he executed Haradion and EJ and all the horrors in between those events. Truly hell on earth. And is this was what was to run about the streets of the world, and then he would have finally achieved his goal.

All he wanted was to watch the Pridelands burn.

Above the case, written on the wall was; _FrEdDy iS a LiAr , _written by one of his test subjects, whom he had told was trialing painkillers, which was what they were initially, but he had lied to them.

He opened the case and started punching in numbers; numbers into a timer. The red digital numbers finally read; _72:00:00. _That was seventy-two hours until his dreams came true. Three days.

The bomb beeped to life and the status clicked onto _ARMED, _before it started counting down. It starts now.

_71:59:59..._

_71:59:58..._

_71:59:57..._

_71:59:56..._

_71:59:55..._

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**How was that ladies and gentlemen? First chapter since I've been back. Once again, Don't forget to review, and as always...have nice day. **


	41. Three Days Till Day Zero

**So here's the next chapter ladies and gentlemen, and we're starting to near the final battle. I hope this has been an enjoyable experience for you like it has for me, it has been a real thrill ride to write. I'm aiming to finish this before December. Don't forget to review ladies and gentlemen! **

**Critic101foryou: Rather than simply trashing the story, you could offer constructive criticism so I could improve on the points you don't like. Because you just mouthed off, your comments were removed. I will accept negative comments if they give reason and tell me where I need to improve. But simply 'this story sucks' several times in a row won't cut it. I just hope you're no keyboard warrior.**

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**CHAPTER 40: THREE DAYS TILL DAY ZERO**

Kovu, Kopa, Nala, Vitani and Lorenzo practically dragged themselves into the shelter of Site 428, just as the rain started to drop. They were exhausted from a day full of walking, fighting and pure stress. The fate of their country rested on their shoulders, and they were all they had. A few days ago this warehouse/bunker had just been a stepping-stone, and now it was their home; one that Gonzo/Heckler would locate very easily. He had been right there with them, and he was no fool.

That was what bothered Kopa, why would they just make the man's job easier? Kovu had his reasons. He was fed up with this whole game of chess Heckler was playing with him, would no longer be allowed to anticipate his moves. He was going to act completely unpredictably, and force Gonzo to play _his _game. If Gonzo wanted to simply walk into Site 428 then they would be there waiting for him.

Kovu was unsure about using Nala's advice though, would he really get civilians involved into this? He thought the population had suffered enough already, and questioned Mohatu's tactics. And how the hell did he expect to fire up a nation on its knees? Where would he make them find the will? Kovu was no Winston Churchill, which was for sure.

Kovu groggily walked into the bunker's command room and found that everything was still as it had been left. He sighed and entered the dim, gloomy room. This was all he had to work in, and he now had no Haradion to do all the advanced techno-work, he had no wise-cracking marines to keep the mood bright, no Kopa to do all the detective work as he was attending to Vitani, no Kiara to be the lovely supportive woman she was to keep him going, and most importantly, no Simba to look over his shoulder and guide him. Or did he?

Simba had appeared to him twice, and made Kovu question his sanity. But both times, Simba had been there for him, saved him and inspired him. Long after he was killed. Maybe this 'great kings' thing wasn't just superstitious bullshit he'd heard from the royal family. Maybe he was actually there for him.

Kovu silently plugged Kopa's laptop in and plugged the camera he had taken into the USB port. He needed to look over what had happened, and maybe, just maybe, find some clues that would lead him to that son of a bitch Friedrich Heckler.

"Come on...load." Kovu growled at the laptop.

After a while the footage uploaded, and Kovu was quick to find the correct clips.

The video started with static, and then the camera was bouncing around violently, as if the cameraman was sprinting. It was Walcott with the camera, and he was right behind EJ and Haradion, sprinting to the evac point. The panicked and desperate cries of the marines seemed to get to Kovu; he was just sitting around while all this was happening. He should have been in there with them. Machine gunfire and explosions echoed in the background as the camera progressed through forest, with pieces of wood from shot trees flying all over the place and the gunshots growing louder. Walcott's pants became even more desperate and louder as they just entered a clearing.

"_WE'RE ALMOST THERE BUDDY!" _One marine shouted.

The landing site then came into view, and Walcott seemed to quicken his pace. All of a sudden, a loud series of gunshots broke out, probably from a HYENA AK rifle, and screams broke out.

"_ARCHER NO! EJ WAIT UP!" _Walcott cried out desperately, but soon, he too, was silenced. Silenced by gunshots.

_*RATATANG!* "ARGH!"_

The camera fell and rolled along the ground, and stopped near the landing site for Gonzo's helicopter. Walcott was dead, and there was now a splash of blood on the lens of the camera to prove it. EJ then appeared on the corner of the screen, helping a wounded Haradion. Kovu leant forward for this part and listened in to the conversation carefully. Suddenly, a soft hand touched his shoulder.

Kovu spun around on his seat in fright and then found that it was just Lorenzo, who was now watching with him. He wasn't sure what emotional response this video might create from her but he didn't object. As long as it gave her another reason to kill Heckler, he was fine with it. Nala then joined them, and then Vitani. Kopa eventually gave in and went to see what the commotion was about.

EJ and Dion were talking with Gonzo, holding Banzai by the neck and carrying a large suitcase. _So that's what our bomb looks like. _Kovu thought, and watched on.

"Can I ask what you plan to achieve in watching this?" Nala asked.

"Clues. I want to find out everything I can about this kraut bastard so I can find _him._ Then I'll put an end to this. This footage is the first way." Kovu informed her and then put a finger of his mouth, gesturing for everyone to be silent.

It hurt Kovu to watch this all over again. However, the pain was just weakness leaving him; at least he hoped. If that was the case then he should have no weaknesses left.

"_...did you get that hard-drive?" _

"_Yep. We downloaded all of HYENA's data, their whole system in fact." _

"_Good...that's one less loose end..."_

_Cla-Chik..._

_BANG!_

"_NO!" _

_BANG! _

A tear slid down Lorenzo's face as she watched her love, and then her commanding officer and mentor get shot. She didn't completely lose it like before though, as she knew that wouldn't have been what the two of them would have wanted. The sweet, supportive Haradion would have said something like; _"Don't cry Colette, you're still in this. Crying won't bring me back, you just need to take it on the chin and keep going to till the end..." _And EJ would have said something like; _"God damn it Corporal, you suck up 'em tears. You want to kick Heckler's ass? Then you forget about me, and get your head back in the war. Hoo-ah?" _Lorenzo nodded as if she actually heard those voices in her head.

"Hoo-ah." She sniffled to herself.

The video continued and Lorenzo almost trembled in rage when EJ and Dion were burnt. Everyone else seemed to keep their cool though. Kovu studied the Delta-Shadow soldiers carefully, they were dressed as ex-air force special ops guys, but their faces had black bandannas tied around them and they also had dark, concealing sunglasses. They wore no HYENA armband, even the ones that had been embedded into the HYENA system. They had lived up to their name; as they had completely operated in the shadows. Both the Pridelands' shadows and HYENA's.

Kovu was about to shut the computer off, as the scene was over but then something caught his attention. Gonzo had wondered off from his group and was looking over the burning bodies while changing his white lab coat to a long, black leather one. He then appeared to say something to himself...

"_And so it ends...now back to where it began, where I once lost everything...everything..." _Gonzo seemed to look over his four fingered hand. The hand that had been the one that linked him to Heckler and the one that had taken the lives of so many.

"Wait! Rewind that!" Kopa said loudly and Kovu quickly did so, and this time turned the volume up so they could hear.

Everyone went silent as the clip started again. Gonzo slipped on his jacket and began talking.

"_And so it ends...now back to..." _The clip was cut off.

The whole screen seemed to erupt into static and Kovu held his hands up as if he'd just done something. However, it wasn't him messing with the computer. He was being hacked.

"Hey, what did I touch?" Kovu said defensively and Kopa took the laptop from him.

"You didn't touch anything...we're being hacked by a foreign signal! DAMN IT HECKLER!" Kopa cried out and typed furiously, but it did no good.

Soon the static stopped, and the screen was changed into another video. On the screen was an open suitcase with a yellow radioactive emblem on the inside lid. And there was a timer inside. It read _71:43:29. _Kovu recognized the nuke and grabbed Kopa's arm. The weapon was up against a white tiled wall, but that was all they could see of its location.

"Wait, stop..." He told Kopa and Kopa reluctantly moved his hands away from the keyboard.

A familiar, German voice broke out on the video stream.

"_Guten Tag, Kovu, Palladino, Vitani and Lorenzo. Yes that's right I know you're alive. I do not care if you listen to this or not, as this is merely an update on my progress. As you can see, this weapon of mass destruction has been armed, and will detonate in approximately seventy-one hours, forty three minutes and nine seconds. That is three days, and today is day three. When it gets to 'Day Zero' then finally, you will see what this has been about all along. I must congratulate you on all you achieved so far, you've wasted the lives of many innocent, handed me your country, and lost every battle you've fought. And now how I have your wife and son Kovu! At least one day the boy will make a great assassin, one that will find you supposing you survive the bomb and live on."_

The part about only having three days before the detonation seemed almost irrelevant to Kovu, that last part seemed to go right into his soul. Gonzo knew his nightmares, and now he was going to make each and every one of them come true. Kovu's fingers curled into a fist and he growled in pure rage. Even after all he had been through, that seemed way, way too far. Every time he thought Heckler/Gonzo couldn't do anything more to him, he found out that he was wrong.

"_And if by some chance you have a burst of courage to try and tackle my 'Delta-Shadow' force head on on in the capital city, I'll let you know now that it will count to nothing. The bomb will detonate regardless even if, you by an even slimmer chance defeat the brutes, which is unlikely anyway. If I were you, I would sit back and watch the blast from a safe distance, and then start counting the years before your 'son' comes for you. Now let's see...what shall I name him? How about 'Taka'? Does that sound like a nice name to you Kovu? It does to me, even though he is named after the man that mad me who I am."_

"BASTARD!" Kovu shouted and was about to smash the screen of the laptop, but Kopa caught his fight and restrained him. That laptop was all they had.

"_So that was all I called to update you about, and by the way, I know you're at Site 428. Don't ask how I know. But for now...Auf Wiedersehen."_

The voice of Gonzo stopped and the screen then burst into static again, before returning to the clip from the camera. Everyone sat in stunned silence. Their job had just gone from difficult to impossible. How the hell were they meant to save the city in three days? They needed to locate the nuke for starters, and then there was the seemingly impossible task of defeating Delta-Shadow. And for Kovu, there were all these little mind games Gonzo was playing with him.

"Great man...that's just fuckin' great. Now what are supposed to do? We're in some real pretty shit now man!" Kopa whined in a defeatist tone. He'd had enough.

"Shut it Palladino." Kovu growled, trying to think. That sort of attitude was the last thing he needed.

"WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW, MAN? WHAT'RE WE GOING TO DO?" Kopa shouted now, to nobody in particular.

"We get some rest, then we start planning tomorrow." Nala suggested.

"Oh yeah, now's the perfect time for rest." Vitani snarled at her sarcastically.

"Vitani, sometimes the greatest leap forward requires taking a few steps back." Nala said wisely.

"Let's just bug out and call it even. What are even talking about this for?" Kopa groaned.

"Are you finished Lieutenant?" Lorenzo growled at Kopa.

Kovu put his head in his hands as the argument raged. That whole video hack had seemed to turn them against each other, just want Gonzo wanted. Finally, Kovu clicked into gear.

"ENOUGH! Nala is right...we get some sleep now, and talk about this in the morning. And we're not done yet! Are we all clear?" Kovu yelled at all of them.

They all nodded sheepishly and fanned out to find a place to sleep in the bunker.

"Yeah...sleep...sure." Kopa continued to mumble under his breath.

As soon as he was alone, Kovu looked up and sighed. _Simba...Why have you forsaken me? If you actually are up there...please...help me. Help me believe._ Kovu almost prayed. He sat in the office chair for several minutes, before finally drifting off to sleep.

_Kovu, I hear you._

_Believe my son, and one day, everything will be right. _

_The power and will of a nation rests not just in its head, which is you, but in its body; the citizens. Many good people want the same thing you do. Tap into them, and unlock victory. Make THEM believe, and together, as one, you shall succeed._

_Take my Desert Eagle pistol, the sword of the kings, and fight through the pain. It will only leave as weakness._

_Find Doctor Friedrich Heckler, find my daughter your wife, and find the weapon. _

_Serve Justice._

_Remember, I will always be there to guide you, if you let me._

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**How was that? Final battle coming up in the next few chapters. Does anyone know which character from what movie Kopa's ranting and raving was from? **

**This has been JJZ-109...and as always...have a nice day.**


	42. The Will Of A Nation

**Sorry about the consistent delays, but I plan to write and upload tomorrow, and more frequently so that I can finish this before December. Glad some of you enjoyed the history, and I may do a prequel set in that time period. Enjoy and Don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 41. THE WILL OF A NATION**

_Kovu walked down the peaceful pathway, right next to a children's playground in the suburbs of Prideland City. He was alone, and part of one of the most innocent, beautiful areas in the whole city. The only sounds he could hear were the cries of children playing on the playground, laughter, birds chirping sweetly and the calming ambience of the area. Despite the environment, Kovu felt unease, and that something was very, very, wrong. _

_He slowly approached the fenced off playground, step by step, and watched all the children play there. There were kids on the slides, swings and climbing walls. It was next to the seesaw where he sighted her. _

_Kovu almost had his face pressed up against the chain link fence, and looked through with a searching stare. It was Kiara he saw, dressed in a pretty white dress and her auburn hair flowed over her shoulders. She was tending to a toddler; his son, who was happily riding the seesaw with a happy, toothless smile. Kiara watched him proudly and then looked up, to see Kovu staring at them through the chain link fence._

_Kiara waved at him with a smile, and Kovu returned the gesture. He watched his family play there happily for a moment, in a state of mental bliss. This was how it should be. His smile then faded though, when he heard the most dreaded sound of his whole twisted campaign against Heckler. His watch beeped, and the date was exactly three days since he had received Heckler's message. _

_Instead of the digital display it should have had, the watch read: 00:00:13. And in the date column, instead of saying 'WED 24th' it read; DAY ZERO_

"_DAY ZERO..."_

"_DAY ZERO..." It was the voice of Heckler. It was no longer Scar that haunted him. It whispered in his ear, keeping true to its promise._

_Kovu's glimpse of reality destroyed the mood he was in, and he looked up at all the kids playing on the equipment, completely unaware of the horror that was thirteen seconds away. He tried shouting out to Kiara, but no sounds came out of his mouth. He screamed his lungs out, and shook the fence with both of his hands, but nobody heard him. Kiara had her back turned and was helping her little child walk. Tears streamed down Kovu's face as he shook the fence, he looked up at the sky, but then his gaze was drawn lower, towards the city. He saw the skyscrapers and buildings, and the mountain behind them that the palace was built on, all sitting there peacefully. No longer._

_00:00:04..._

_00:00:03..._

_00:00:02..._

_00:00:01..._

_00:00:00_

_The city suddenly disappeared into a blinding light, a light that seemed to blind the entire city. It was the light of a thousand suns. The whole setting seemed to turn white in its light. Then it faded, and a blast of air surged towards them. The shockwave. It decapitated most of the civilians at the park, and sent Kovu flying backwards away from the fence. Then came the blast heat. _

_A yellow mushroom cloud rose out of the shadows of Prideland City, and the surrounding skyscrapers were incinerated like leaves in a fire. The blast heat then rushed towards them, and mutilated the survivors of the shockwave. Bodies were instantly turned into ash, but Kovu was unaffected. He just hung onto the chain link fence. He watched in horror as Kiara and her son's flesh was burned away from the bone by the very air, leaving Kovu screaming in disbelief. _

_The world then went black for Kovu, and he felt himself let go..._

"_Painful?" A voice said. _

_Kovu could recognize that voice anywhere. It was the cool, calm voice of Simba in his usual distinctive American accent. _

"_Good. Pain is weakness Kovu, and when it leaves...you feel it. Let it leave." Simba said wisely, almost cruelly._

_The blackness then faded away, and Kovu found himself standing in exactly the same spot as he was before. The world was just how it was before the darkness; there was a mushroom cloud above the devastated city, people burning and carnage everywhere. Kovu looked around, frightened out of his wits. The whole setting was in some sort of freeze frame. Nothing moved, except for one person to Kovu's left. The man stood over six feet tall, had auburn hair with streaks of grey, and had a stern expression. It was Simba._

"_I'll have you know that it doesn't have to be like this..." Simba said, all of a sudden, the world changed._

_The whole setting seemed to rewind itself, back to how it had been before the detonation. Everyone was alive now, and playing on the structure again. Kovu looked at Simba, shocked. He had just turned back time. _

"_It can stay like this, however...whether this is the environment that your child grows up in, or the other...is up to you, and what you do in the next three days." Simba said and started to walk away from Kovu._

"_WAIT!" Kovu yelled and grabbed him by the shoulder._

"_How am I meant to do it Simba? How? It's impossible...I can't fight them. And where the hell Gonzo is..." Kovu whined but Simba cut him off._

"_The power of a nation is not just in its head...but in its body as well, and in its sword. The people are the key. The will of a nation will destroy the one of the intoxicated Delta-Shadow. You need to believe, and you need to make the people believe. Once you have accomplished this...find Heckler. Stop him. Take back your wife my daughter." Simba instructed him and a smile appeared in the corner of his mouth._

"_But Heckler...how do I find him? He's like a shadow...and all of the few things he holds sacred will be in that shadow." Kovu explained._

"_He told you in his own words where to find him." Simba said, and then snapped his fingers._

_Again, the scene faded._

_Eerie whispering then filled Kovu's ears, not like Scar's voice, but even more sinister. It was Heckler, whispering something to someone. The darkness faded again, and formed another scene. It was inside a laboratory, but from the inside Kovu couldn't tell where. Kovu watched two men working inside; a much younger Heckler and another man from Russia. He watched as they tested the very first example of E115, got searched, and Dimitrov was executed, and Heckler mutilated. It all made sense to Kovu now, this was what made Heckler who he was. He then watched as Scar's private soldiers took Heckler away, probably to CCA-147._

_Then, presumably many years later, Kovu watched as Heckler returned to the lab, restarted his research, and tested the newer variants of E115, on people this time. This created a series of chilling messages written in blood written on the walls, to be joined by messages from Heckler himself when he used it on himself, to destroy what fear Heckler had left in him. Soon, he saw nothing._

_Time passed, and eventually Kovu saw Heckler walk in with two Delta-Shadow soldiers, dragging a struggling Kiara. Heckler held the nuclear bomb. This was Kovu's place alright, this was 'where it all began' in Gonzo/Heckler's words. But where was it?_

Kovu's eye flicked open, and he gasped. It was all so clear now. And now, he was even more motivated now that he had seen exactly what his failure could mean. Kovu also felt a little grateful, he had asked Simba for help, and he had delivered. Simba might have just pointed out where Gonzo/Heckler's HQ was and how to defeat the elite Delta-Shadow.

Kovu sat up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, before checking the time. _7:28, _That meant that their seventy-two hours had just been reduced to sixty-one. Time was running out. Kovu flicked off all the newspapers he had used as blankets on the floor of Site 428 and sat up. Vitani's voice then broke out from another room.

"KOVU! Rise and shine, we got work to do!"

"Coming! Hold on a sec..." Kovu said and was about to pull himself to his feet, but then noticed that one of the newspapers was still stuck to his arm.

This paper was different, it seemed to be much older and the images on it were in black and white. Kovu yanked it off his arm but then hesitated. Unfolded it the piece of paper and found that it was the front page...from October 1941. _Wow...that's old. _Kovu thought and read the headline. _WAR SPECIAL: WILL OF PRIDELANDS STUN NAZI WEHRMACHT. _The newspaper was from World War Two, when Mohatu when toe to toe with Adolf Hitler, like Kovu was about to with Heckler/Gonzo. It only highlighted how if a nation believed, they could dig themselves out of the deepest of graves. It was a joint effort, civilian and military, man and woman, worker and fighter. Kovu picked up another old looking newspaper; this one was from April 1942.

"_NOT ONE STEP BACK!" Says King and head of state Mohatu, after a rallying speech in front of thousands of Pridelanders. The King has now authorized a counterattack, after successfully driving the German sixth army out of the Pridelands. He has vowed, that one day, the Prideland Military would be on Hitler's doorstep, in vengeance for all the civilians he has killed. Cavalry charges have actually proved to be quite effective on German infantry, and they have been left devastated and flustered. _There was a picture of Mohatu on the front page, making the 'victory' sign with his fingers. If he could do it, so could Kovu.

Kovu smiled and shoved the papers into his jacket pocket, before heading into the make-shift command room to eat 'breakfast'. He joined the others and started eating a granola bar, which was the closest thing they had to breakfast. Everyone looked at him anxiously, except for Nala, who was her usual calm self. Kovu ignored their stares and ate casually. It was Vitani who broke the silence.

"Okay guys, we've got less than three days to try and fix this, and suggestions?" Vitani asked and looked around at all of them.

Kopa just shook his head sadly, Lorenzo shrugged, and when her gaze met Nala, she motioned towards Kovu; who nodded and stood up.

"I have a plan. But we only have one shot at this, and we're going to have to try to pull it off on Day Zero." Kovu announced.

"Really? Cause the last few plans you've had have really...not helped us in anyway." Kopa growled. Kovu glared at him.

"Well back then we had our old pal Gonzo screwin' it up for us didn't we? This time we don't. And he thinks he is invincible, like the Germans did many years ago..." Kovu pointed out.

"Yeah, but maybe he's right. He ain't no German invading force, he knows the city, he lived in it. And he has control over it. He's got soldiers everywhere, and all we have...is us." Kopa said. It seemed like he was the defeatist one now.

"No...we are just the head. A nation also has a body, and a sword." Kovu said and winked at Nala.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, let's see...We are the head of the nation, and the citizens are the body. I can make them believe, I can make them _want _to fight. Delta-Shadow can probably handle us, but they can't handle ten thousand civvies running at them." Kovu said and started to walk around the table.

"So how are you going to get them up and going anyway? They are all in Prideland City, and one does not simply walk into Prideland City. Well, not anymore at least. Delta-Shadow would be all over there." Kopa continued to try and find weaknesses in the idea.

"I'm going to talk to them, and we'll have to figure out how to get into the city." Kovu said and thought? How could they get into the city?

"Actually, I know the solution to that." Kopa mumbled, thinking about downstairs, where all of Simba's private car collection was.

"What?"

"Come with me." Kopa said and led him down to the hidden garage.

_A few minutes later_

The electronic door opened and Kovu and Kopa stepped through. Like usual, the lights flickered on simultaneously. Kovu shielded his eyes from the sudden light, but he quickly adjusted. When his vision came into focus, he felt his jaw drop.

"Oh my g-" Kovu's voice trailed off mid-sentence in shock.

"So this is where he kept all his toys..." Kopa said proudly.

"Son of a bitch, the man always was a car nut." Kovu said and began looking for a suitable vehicle.

He walked past the rows of cars, and eventually came across what looked like a suitable car; an Audi A4. Kovu shrugged and opened the door, to find the keys in a bag on the driver's seat. Kopa caught sight of him and yelled out to stop him.

"NO KOVU! Not that one..." Kopa said and shut the door of the car for him.

"Why not? It's practical..." Kovu said but Kopa shook his head.

"Practical my ass, now let's find something with a little more style, eh?" Kopa said and led Kovu to the back of the garage, where he saw that remarkable 'red speck' before.

_Priorities? _

"What are we looking for?" Kovu asked angrily, but when he saw it, his frustration at Kopa turned into more shock. How was this even possible?

"Whoa...how the hell did Simba..." Kovu was cut off.

"I don't know. But the point is its here and I don't waste my blessings." Kopa said and got up onto the stand the car was on.

"Uh Palladino...I really don't think this is meant to be touched. And I still think the Audi would be a little more appropriate." Kovu warned him, but Kopa just ignored him.

"Oh no. She is _begging _to be touched. And who cares about all this politically correct bullshit? _Che Bella Mia!_ " Kopa imitated an Italian accent made a kissing sound.

Kovu was looking at one of the rarest, most collectible and expensive cars ever made. It was a 1962 Ferrari 250 Spyder GT. It was worth over ten million dollars, and was exceptionally hard to find one in good condition. It was the jewel of Simba's collection, and in truth, it was stunning. But Kovu still felt a more conservative car should be used. _Ah what the hell? Chances are we'll be dead in two days anyway. Let's live those last two in style._

He jumped into the driver's seat ahead of Kopa. When Kopa was about to get in next to him, he shook his head.

"I have to do this alone." He stated and started the famous V12 engine of the Ferrari.

_VRUM!_

"Then what the hell do I do?" Kopa asked, disappointed to not be going in the Ferrari.

Kovu said nothing and handed him the pieces of newspaper from before. Kopa took them curiously and looked them over.

"Figure it out!" Kovu said and revved the engine of the Ferrari twice more.

_VRUM_

_VRUM!_

The garage door then opened, and Kovu slipped on his sunglasses before speeding out. _Crazy son of a bitch. _Kopa thought and looked over the newspaper articles he had been given.

_NOT ONE STEP BACK!" Says King and head of state Mohatu, after a rallying speech in front of thousands of Pridelanders. The King has now authorized a counterattack, after successfully driving the German sixth army out of the Pridelands. He has vowed, that one day, the Prideland Military would be on Hitler's doorstep, in vengeance for all the civilians he has killed. Cavalry charges have actually proved to be quite effective on German infantry, and they have been left devastated and flustered._

Kopa rolled his eyes. How was this meant to help? Then all of sudden an idea popped into his head. _Cavalry charges have actually proved to be quite effective on German infantry, and they have been left devastated and flustered. _Kopa thought for a second, there was no way horses would work these days, but maybe something else...

His gaze was drawn to where he parked his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. _Cavalry..._

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**How was that? Does anyone know what the significance of the Ferrari 250 is to Simba? I'll just give you a random fun fact. Matt Broderick's (Simba's actor in the films) most famous film (other than TLK) was _Ferris Bueller's Day Off, _and in that film, he drove a stolen Ferrari 250 Spyder GT. **

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...have a nice day.**


	43. Recruiting

**Wow, I said I would update the day after I uploaded the last chapter. Boy was I wrong there. Anyway, sorry about that. Black ops 2 came out and i have spent a lot of time playing it. On an unrelated note, is anyone that reads this good at art/fan art or photoshopping? I would like a better cover for this story than simply a mushroom cloud. If anyone is interested, please tell me. **

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 42. RECRUITING**

Thomas 'Tojo' Jorgensen sat uncomfortably amongst hundreds of other civilians outside the stock exchange. They had been taken hostage days ago, and kept there, guarded by several HYENA personnel. It had almost been a daily routine for him, just sit down and keep your mouth shut, and accept the little rations the enemy gives you. But then, it all changed. HYENA seemed to turn on itself, and all of a sudden, half of them were dead and the remnants 'Delta-Shadow' as they called themselves, cracked down on them. They shot anyone that so much as complained. It was awful.

Just days ago, Tojo had been an honest businessman with a good life and family, but ever since VS day, it had all turned to hell. Now he doubted that he would see his family ever again, as apparently the city was going to blow any day soon. And who was there to help them? No one. Some said that the royal family was all dead, and that the government had collapsed. That was the way it looked, but would they be able to coordinate a successful counter-attack anyway? Impossible. Even if Simba were alive, (Tojo had witnessed that fateful day) there would still be no chance of victory.

Tojo weakly looked up as a Delta-Shadow soldier walked past him, wielding an AN-94 assault rifle. The soldier wore all black combat gear, including a half-balaclava and dark sunglasses. Tojo couldn't see it, but he knew that the man was glaring at him through those glasses. The guard then continued on, inspecting his hostages.

Tojo sighed loudly, interrupting the silence. This made the guard turn back towards him. Tojo gulped, he knew that that move wasn't smart. The guard walked back towards him sinisterly, raising his rifle; preparing to ram the stock down onto Tojo's skull as punishment. He raised the rifle up, about to strike, but was interrupted. Interrupted by the sound of a car outside. Tojo flinched, but didn't know whether to feel relief or fear.

That could be more Delta-Shadow personnel showing up, which would not help his cause. But then Tojo realized that couldn't be the case, as that didn't sound like a military vehicle approaching, it was a V12, and old one at that. The soldier lowered his rifle and picked up his walkie-talkie as a message came through.

"_We have an unidentified red convertible at the Stock Exchange entrance, suggest you take a look." _The voice informed him.

"Roger." Was all the D-S soldier said, before glaring at Tojo one last time.

He started walking towards the revolving doors of the stock exchange entrance, and cocked his rifle. More troops followed him. Soon, there were only five guards left in the large open space of the stock exchange, all on edge. This obviously wasn't normal for them. Deep down, Tojo _prayed _that it would be some kind of help.

The silence prevailed for a few more moments before all of a sudden, loud noises broke out from outside. It was the screeching of tires, shouts and _gunshots. _There were the loud bursts of automatic fire probably from Delta-Shadow, and then there was even _louder_ shots to silence them all. Someone was fighting them all right, and they were armed. Soon, the firing ceased.

The Delta-Shadow soldiers inside raised their weapons in alarm and looked around nervously, the troops outside weren't responding. Something was up. Soon, their suspicions were confirmed; a lone man, wearing a black sleeveless shirt, combat pants and a balaclava covering his face triumphantly pushed his way through the revolving doors. Delta-Shadow wasted no time.

"HEY YOU!" One of the five guards shouted out and stormed over to him, along with another man.

This was a stupid mistake; unfortunately, one of the side affects of E115 was slightly disrupted decision making. They got to within a meter of him, preparing to strike him to the floor, but then..._BANG...BANG! _

The man disposed them both within a second, using a hidden Desert Eagle. He then adjusted his aim onto the stunned remaining three guards, and made no mistake, killing them in one shot each. The barrel of the pistol was left smoking. All of the Delta Shadow guards were dead, and the hostages knew it.

The crowd burst into chatter and disruption, but was quickly silenced by a gunshot. The man had his pistol up in the air, and lowered it when he saw he had everyone's attention.

"I need everyone to listen to me very carefully. Our lives, and the lives of all those who live in your city depend on it." The man said, but not everyone was convinced.

They had just been through hell, and weren't being held captive anymore, so why should they listen to him? What gives him the right? One large, well built man stood up.

"Why should we do that? What authority do you have?" The man protested angrily. The masked man remained calm.

"You will listen to me if you want to live, and avenge all those who have died in the last week." The mysterious man replied coolly.

"I don't think so pal. Unless you got enough bullets in that gun of yours for all of us, then you can't threaten us. Why should we listen to you? You have no idea we've been through!" The large man snapped back. This comment seemed to anger their 'rescuer'.

Slowly, and to everyone's shock, the man removed the balaclava, revealing his identity. Many gasped, and Tojo recognized him straight away. The black hair, the green eyes, the scar...it was Kovu Blackburn.

"As a matter of fact I do know what you've been through, and beyond. Now please, listen up! I acknowledge you guys have seen a lot, so you deserve to know what has been happening. You deserve the truth. As a people you watched in horror as terrorists and anarchists attacked your homeland. The airport and stock exchange were a few of these attacks. A few days ago, you were witness to the assassination of your Commander in Chief King Simba. He left behind a family, friends, people who loved him and he died brutally defending those people. My only conciliation was that he was spared the horror of what came next. HYENA attacked the palace itself, and grieving weak following Simba's death, it was overrun. HYENA took control of the city. That was the last thing you saw, and knew for certain." Kovu told them, and most of them listened. But they didn't see the relevance of where he was going.

"Thanks for the news flash pal, now tell us something we don't know. Something like...where the hell you exalted pricks have been all this time and why you abandoned us." The large man insisted.

"That was the least of what came next. I am telling you this, so you know we have not been idle. We have not abandoned our people, like you think sir. A few survivors did the impossible. Without any backup, or equipment beyond what you could buy in your nearest gun store, they broke into the palace, freed the captured marines, and released me and the rest of the royal family. We escaped, and regrouped; preparing to destroy HYENA once and for all."

"So why didn't you?" The man argued again.

"Yeah?" Many more agreed.

"It wasn't that simple. We were deceived...betrayed from within. People we trusted had turned, and from within the ranks of the Prideland Royal Marine Corps, and HYENA itself, shadows moved. Delta-shadow." People were all listening now.

"As it turned out, HYENA were nothing more than pawns. A scapegoat for atrocities and a means to an end. We soon destroyed them, and retook the nuclear device they had stolen. But as I said, we were deceived. At the critical moment, Delta-Shadow revealed itself. I watched as a man I trusted was shown to be a war criminal and a murderer. I watched as he killed two good men. Two men – that in the space of a month – had become my friends. These two men, who had days before done the impossible and turned the tables on HYENA with nothing more than a pistol had been gunned down before my eyes. The nuclear device was taken from their burnt corpses and... Princess Kiara was abducted. So know you know, I have suffered as much and if not more than you. They took my wife and unborn son, and killed the only man I could call a father. So now you know, we have some common interests." Kovu said and all of a sudden, Tojo felt bad for him. He had thought he had had it rough, Kovu had it rougher and he also had the responsibility of leading a country.

"So who is this guy? Is he their leader?" The large man asked, interested now.

"Yes he is. His name is Friedrich Heckler. He is a monster and maniacal terrorist. He is capable of things that would have paled the works of Taka the Scarred." Kovu announced, and started more chatter amongst the crowd again.

"He has control of the Pridelands, he has the bomb, and he has chemical weapons that can raise demons before your eyes...and he has my heart." Kovu said, referring to Kiara. The sympathy was now felt by all, and they all wanted to rid of Heckler. But they didn't _believe. _That was what Kovu needed to change.

"BUT he does not have your hearts. He does not have the heart of the people. Time and time again, the citizens of this country have risen against evil and tyranny. Against Zira, against Scar, and even decades before against fascism and genocide. When Nazi Germany invaded in 1941, it was not the army that stood against the tide of dictatorship from the east. It was the people. People who stood against Hitler. It was the people who fought my father, Scar." Kovu preached, and for the first time in days, Tojo felt a flicker of hope after he heard that statistic.

" Heckler has the nuclear device. He expects you to run in fear, like cattle before a lion. That is what your minds will tell you to do. But I beg you, to listen instead to your hearts. Why should we run from a psychopath who kills on a whim? Why should we give him the satisfaction of crushing our spirit? Will we make the lives lost count to nothing? How much blood has been spilt already? Hundreds? Thousands? In all the attacks, in all the battles? The Sacrifices of those innocents? The sacrifices of King Simba and Captain Eugene Jones and Agent Harrison Dion? The Sacrifices of so many people who fought to defend our liberty and our freedom so many years ago?"

"No we won't make it count to nothing...not while I'm alive." A random man added, making Kovu smile.

"I say to you know – make those Sacrifices matter! Make those sacrifices mean something! We have a choice now – We can run, we can flee, and trade away everything these people have died for..." Kovu started, and murmurs broke out from inside the crowd.

"Or we can fight. One last time. Against Heckler. Against the spirit of every single evil in the world that threatens us. We can fight – the people all together. As one. King and citizen, soldier and civilian. Against the thing that we all have a responsibility to fight!" Kovu yelled out, pumping a fist into the air.

"DAMN RIGHT WE'LL FIGHT!"

"YEAH! SEND 'EM TO HELL!" One man screamed out. Kovu had got them wanting to fight, but he still had to warn them.

"BUT...as I said before, no victory is achievable without sacrifice. In less than three days, that bomb will explode supposing we fail; killing us all and destroying the capital. Trying this is a massive risk, and people WILL die. Can all of those willing to make that sacrifice...step forward please." Kovu said sternly and watched the large crowd.

The crowd went silent, and nobody moved. That last message had created uncertainty. Tojo had heard enough. He _had _to try. He pushed his way out of the crowd and stood a meter in front of Kovu, who watched him intently.

"I, sir." Tojo said and did his best salute, even though he had no military experience. Kovu smiled.

Other members in the crowd nodded their approval. The big man that opposed Kovu earlier moved his way to the front and nodded at Kovu.

"I."

Many other crowd members followed suit, men and women alike. They moved their way onto Kovu's side of the room and gradually, all of them were with him. Many said "I." as they moved. Kovu nodded and spoke out again.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about. Now let's move out! FOR SIMBA! For all the innocent blood Heckler has washed his hands in! FOR THE PRIDELANDS!" Kovu screamed out.

"FOR THE PRIDELANDS!" The crowd yelled back in response.

"HOO-AH?" Kovu shouted again, but this time the crowd was a little confused by the Marine Corps style phrase. However, they caught on quick.

"HOO-AH!" Many of them yelled back.

Kovu led them out of the Stock Exchange, with a new purpose, and rebuilt belief. The city was now on his side, and Heckler would have to fight their will. He led them past his Ferrari and turned back to address them one final time.

"Now go out! Spread the word! I want this whole city ready to rain hell on Delta-Shadow by tomorrow morning. GO HOME! Get whatever weapons you can spare! You will need them!" Kovu ordered them. It was time for their numbers to multiply.

Tojo clapped his hands and got them moving.

"You heard him! Let's go!" He yelled out, and soon, the civilians started fanning out across the city and spreading the word. There was far too many for Delta-Shadow to kill.

Kovu nodded his approval and turned around. When he turned, he received a shock. Hundreds of Prideland soldiers, dressed in Desert camouflage, stood there. There was also several armed humvees, choppers, and vehicles. No wonder Delta-Shadow didn't send reinforcements. But the one thing that bugged Kovu was, where did all these troops come from? It seemed almost too good to be true. It was almost like a whole deployment force. The soldiers all snapped into attention.

"SIR!" They yelled out in unison.

Kovu stood there dumbly for a second, before he recognized a relatively short figure and a larger, fatter one push their way to the front of the group of soldiers.

"Timon...Pumbaa...wow. How did you do this?" Kovu stuttered in surprise.

"I pulled them out of Afghanistan. You are looking at seasoned veterans my friend. I wouldn't want you guys walking in alone, would I?" Timon answered.

"Well...Thanks. Thanks a lot." Kovu thanked him. This made his impossible job that little bit easier.

"ANYTHING for one of Simba's mates." Timon said and cracked his knuckles.

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**How was that? Once again, the speech work here was done by Haradion, like how most of the speeches in this story were, along with two chapters. So thanks for that :) Don't Forget to review and if you want to do a cover tell me!**


	44. The Cavalry

**Back again! Chapter 43 is here, and I'm sorry if it isn't very eventful. But in good news, the final battle is coming up in the next three chapters (Well at least the start of it). By the way, is nobody interested in doing that cover art? Because I really would really appreciate it if someone could do that, as I am a terrible artist. Anyway, the average reviews per chapter is dropping, so let's pick that up!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 43. THE CAVALRY**

Kovu watched contently as his army of civilians flooded through the perimeter fencing of Site 428. The few hundred that he had spoken to before, had multiplied into thousands. And now there almost not enough weapons for them that the Afghanistan veterans could supply. Kovu thought that it was a problem he liked to have, as a mob of raging people without guns could still do a lot of harm to Delta-Shadow. That was part of his plan.

Word had spread quickly through the streets of Prideland City, and almost everyone was warned of the result of failure. The call of duty was like a virus that Heckler could not contain, sure he fired at any runners or messengers in the city, but the city was too big and there was too many people. Apparently there was still hundreds out in the city that would stay there, and strike on Day Zero when it counted.

A storm was approaching Dr. Friedrich Heckler and Delta-Shadow, and it was going to hit right when it counted. And this time, it wouldn't dissipate. Heckler had played all his cards, except for one; the nuke. And there was still two days left for that. Kovu planned to strike the day before Day Zero, as Heckler wouldn't expect it.

Kovu watched as the Prideland soldiers from Afghanistan gave some of the citizens a quick master class on how to shoot a weapon, and hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Kovu almost laughed a few times at some of the mistakes the people made, but he held the laughter in. One blonde woman even managed to look down the barrel of a loaded rifle before a soldier snatched it away from her and gave her a reprimand. This time, Kovu smirked. _EJ, you would have loved this..._

"Sir! We have multiple contacts approaching from the northeast. Closing quickly." One soldier on duty reported and Kovu snapped his head around.

"How many?"

"At least fifty sir, all on...motorcycles, I think." Kovu snatched the binoculars away from the hardened Lieutenant and took a look.

Sure enough, there were several motorbikes approaching from over the rise, led by one man riding in front of them. Kovu zoomed in on him, and instantly recognized him. He was around six feet tall, had auburn hair, and strangely wore a black leather jacket and sunglasses rather than his usual, casual clothing. It was Kopa, and he had company. Kovu lowered his binoculars and gave them back to the soldier.

"They're friendlies. Tell your men to stand down." Kovu ordered him, referring to all the soldiers that had their M27 rifles fixed on Kopa.

"We got friendlies inbound! Hold your fire!" The Lieutenant shouted, and slowly, the troops lowered their rifles.

Kovu watched carefully as the host of motorbikes neared, and slowly, he began to hear music playing. There were several custom bikes among the group, and included choppers, cruise bikes and other large motorcycles. Kovu began to make out the words of the music playing.

_Ba__ck in black_

_I hit the sack_

_I've been too long I'm glad to be back_

_Yes I'm, let loose...From the noose_

_That's kept me hanging about..._

_I keep looking at the sky_

_'Cause it's gettin' me high!_

_Forget the hearse 'cause I'll never die..._

_I got nine lives!_

_Cat size!_

_Using every one of them and running wild_

_Cause I'm back_

_Yes, I'm back_

_Well, I'm back_

_Yes, I'm back_

_Well, I'm back, back_

_(Well) I'm back in black_

_Yes, I'm back in black_

_BACK IN BLACK!_

The roar of motors filled the air and made everyone look up. People dropped what they were doing just to see what the noise was about, and several civilians had to quickly get out of the way before they were run over. Kopa held up his free hand and signaled for his group of bikers to come to a halt. Kovu rushed down the stairs quickly to meet him. Slowly, the roar of engines ceased.

"Where have you been? What is this?" Kovu asked and looked over his new followers.

They were a group of several intimidating bikers and gang members from the streets of Prideland City, most of them looked like red necks or gangsters, with their stylized helmets, long grey beards, tattoos and muscles. These common gang riders were the problems the old police had to deal with before things went to hell. Most of them had the gang emblem '_Coffin Cheaters' _on their riding jackets or helmets.

"This Kovu, is our cavalry." Kopa said and handed Kovu back the article he had given his earlier. _Wow, it actually figured it out._

"And because I figured we're going to fight this like how we fought the Nazis, then I thought cavalry would be a good idea. Except I found that motorcycles would be a more appropriate alternative to horses." Kopa said the bikers jeered.

"Well, thanks. But we're running out of weapons as it is and..." Kovu was cut off.

"Weapons? That won't be a problem..." Kopa said and snapped his fingers.

All of a sudden, the bikers drew several concealed pistols, shotguns and some custom sport rifles. As it turned out, this gang, the 'coffin cheaters' was armed to the teeth. Kovu guessed a lot of those guns were probably not legally obtained, but it didn't matter. Whatever would help him get the city back, he would do.

"Wow. Not bad, I take it those guys don't wont to be told no." Kovu assumed.

"You got that right. These fellas don't like it when assholes like Heckler screw up their business, and their lives." Kopa said and several of the biker murmured their approval.

"Okay then, Lieutenant Tyler! Get all of these boys a place to stay, and explain to them what my expectations are, and what the situation is." Kovu ordered and the Lieutenant nodded.

"Yes sir. Alright people, let's move it! Follow me!" Lieutenant Tyler yelled out, but the biker just glared at him and gave him the 'make us' look.

"Okay then..."

_RATATATATATANG!_

The Lieutenant fired a burst of gunfire into the air from his assault rifle and immediately the bikers got moving. That was all the motivation they needed. No one messes with a Pridelander soldier, especially an Afghanistan vet. Kovu shook his head as he watched them go, they would be tough to handle.

"And you...What's with the glasses and jacket? And the music when you entered here? You look like a damn red neck." Kovu said to him angrily and pulled of his glasses.

"Loosen up." Kopa said, but then realized that he wasn't the one that just cruised into Prideland City in a Ferrari 250 Spyder.

Kovu shook his head as Kopa walked away, just a few hours ago he was convinced that he, along with everyone else in the country, was going to die. It just went to show how much difference a little belief could make, and that difference could be what would separate Delta-Shadow from the Pridelanders in the coming days.

_A few hours later_

Kovu put his head in his hands as he looked over the map of Prideland City one more time. It was like his 'chessboard' and he didn't plan to rest until he had thought of a a flawless plan that would ultimately destroy Delta-Shadow, and lead him to his wife and the nuclear bomb. He still needed to find out exactly where that was before he made any real battle plans. He knew from the visions Simba had given him, that it was his lab where he was turned into what he was. But which lab was it? It probably wouldn't be too hard to figure out, but he needed Kopa for that.

He sighed, and decided to give the plans a rest for now. He had been up all night trying to figure them out. This time, there was no margin for error. If he failed, the mistake would be too big to live with. He had already found several good machine gun posts, sniper spots and roads that his mob of civilians could ambush Delta-Shadow. He slowly walked outside, and into the cool air of night.

His tired gaze was drawn upward to the stars, where he was sure Simba was. He had to be. There were few, if not none, greater leaders than he was. Now would be a good time to ask for his guidance, as Simba never failed him. Never.

"Simba...I know you're up there. And if you can hear me, then please...listen." Kovu said softly, while staring at the stars.

"Its going to be a big few days for all of us. And I can only ask, for you to be with me during those days. And to be with Kiara. Please don't let them hurt her, help me get her back...please!" Kovu almost sobbed at the sky. He soon felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

He turned around and to his surprise; he found that it was his sister, Vitani.

"Who you talking to little bro?" She asked him, looking up at the sky.

"I was just asking if...Simba, could help me out a bit." Kovu admitted and went a little red.

"Right. Any help?" Vitani raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing yet. As silent as the stars." Kovu whispered and Vitani leant on his shoulder.

"I wish he was here now." Vitani sighed and Kovu nodded.

"Don't we all. You know, if you _do _want to say something to him, now's your chance." Kovu offered.

"Me? You know I don't believe in all that superstitious bullshit." Vitani shook her head.

"Well, all you have to do is _believe_. That will be what wins us this fight, and Simba definitely is up there."

"Well then why hasn't he been there for us?"

"He has. And he always will."

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**How is it coming? Will you guys sit through a story that possibly goes for fifty chapters? Anyway, don't forget to review and if you want to do that cover art, or know someone that could do it, could you please tell me? Anyway, this has been JJZ-109 and as always...have a nice day.**


	45. Operation Prideland Freedom

**I know I should be updating this more frequently, but schoolwork and other commitments are taking their toll at the wrong time. This isn't the actual start of the battle, but it is important lead up. I spent hours thinking up tactics, and I actually drew out a map of the city to make that easier, how would I attack Dr. Heckler? I wish I could. I would have Kovu's back. Comments are appreciated, but full length reviews are make me much happier.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 44. OPERATION PRIDELAND FREEDOM**

Kovu stood in front of the large group of soldiers, waiting for them all to take a seat and quiet down. There was only one day left until the big day; Day Zero. This was Day One. Kovu had tirelessly sat in the Site 428 command room for hours, looking at maps and intel. This plan could have no flaws, as this time there was NO margin for error. This slightest miscalculation could spell death for them all, and the rest of the country. He had checked every move over on the maps, making sure that there was no ways to catch them off guard, making sure that he was prepared for anything. And then there was using his forces in the right places at the right times. His resources were limited, and he couldn't waste _any _of them, even the horde of angry citizens. The stress and strategizing had finally paid off, and now he was confident that his plans would come off in the end. But there was still one more thing; Heckler's lab's location. That was still yet to be determined, and hopefully, that location would screw up the delicate strategy he planned to use.

This strategy was risky and unreliable, but it was the only good way. And he had to believe. This time, he would beat Gonzo/Heckler at his own game of chess, he had his pawns (The citizens), his knights (Afghan veterans) his rooks (Biker cavalry) and of course, his Queen in check, Kiara. He needed to get her out of check, and it was up to his 'game' plan for that to happen. He was doing exactly as Simba advised him; he used the nation's head, shoulders, body and sword.

He needed to address the soldiers first, as they were the key to victory. There were 178 of them in total, and ten of them would be in his private squad. That squad would be the one that infiltrates Heckler's lab, deactivates the nuke, saves Kiara and Kovu hoped would kill Heckler. All Kovu wanted was for that son of a bitch to be dead, and so did everyone else. He killed Kopa's _real _father, killed his best friend, massacred civilians and kidnapped his half-sister. And there was everyone else; who Kovu made sure got the full details on how badly he betrayed them, and how he messed with Kovu's head using that terrible chemical.

Soon, the last of the 178 was present and accounted for. Kovu cleared his throat and the chatter died down.

"Okay, everyone listen up. What follows now determines whether tomorrow night our capital city lies in flames." Kovu warned them sinisterly.

Kopa then turned the projector on, and aerial images of the city were displayed in front of them. Arrows were marked all over it, indicating where different units would be advancing. The map was centered on the city square, which linked up to Main Street and several other smaller roads branching off it. Main Street was where the civilian horde and the all of the people under Kovu's influence would advance, keeping Delta-Shadow extremely busy while two units from the withdrawn Prideland Army units flanked on either side. So the D-S remnants would fall back, towards East Side, where Kopa's cavalry and a convoy of armed Humvees would engage. Once D-S realizes they can't go that way, their only option would be to retreat westwards, towards the coastline. Only a few miles off the coast was the HMS _Ahadi _and the HMS _Mufasa,_ being commanded by Timon and Delta-Shadow were in range, they would fire on them from sea, killing anyone that survived the assault. Kovu would order his people to make sure that not _one _Delta-Shadow operative lived to see the end of the battle. Every time Kovu thought of what they had done to his country and his family made him cringe.

"It is in my knowledge that you are the Pridelands' most experienced warriors; the elite. You will have to show that experience if we are to succeed. These troops you are up against, are called Delta-Shadow. They aren't your average muppets; they put HYENA and the Taliban you are so used to fighting to shame. They will kill you. They don't think tactically, as their mind has been poisoned with a substance that will be unleashed on the country if you fail. However, we do have one thing they don't have; the will to win. They only fight because they are under the influence of a drug, and the person that seemingly brainwashed them is their god. They do anything he says, and he says he wants us dead. _We _fight because these monsters continue to insult us and plague our land with evil, and we are going to put and end to it."

Several soldiers in the warehouse exchanged glances. Kovu continued on.

"Both of the units here will be playing a flanking role in the fight. Civvies have the middle. Tyler's unit, you will be taking the left up on Seventeenth Street, and Lieutenant Montez, your boys will be taking the right up on twenty-seventh. You guys need to keep it down as you advance, as if you raise the alarm to early, it could screw everything else up. Are we clear?" Kovu instructed them.

"Clear sir." They all replied.

"Kill as much as you can, and make sure they retreat towards East Side. Once you see Lieutenant Palladino and the rednecks engage, Montez's guys fall back to the convoy of Humvees, they will take you around the city, searching for hostiles. Tyler, you and your troops keep on pressing. Make cut off all the escape routes and make sure that the only way out for them is towards the coastline. Once they hit the sea-side drive, get the hell out of there, as I got two Destroyers that will rain hell on that place whether you're there or not." Kovu continued, and eyed the entire group.

"Any questions?"

"Sir." One man put his hand up.

"Yeah?"

"Where will you be in all this?" He asked and Kovu wasn't sure how to answer, he didn't want to give away the details, as he still felt he couldn't trust anyone.

"I will be with a private Strike Force going in to secure the WMD and a person of interest. I need you guys to keep the fight away from there." answered Kovu.

"How will we know where to keep them away from? Will we know where the building is?" The soldier continued to answer.

"The building is in a location that we are confirming right now as we speak. You will be notified prior to the assault." Kovu informed him and the soldier nodded.

"Any other questions?" Kovu asked to the group and they remained silent, with their hands down.

Kovu nodded solemnly and spoke again.

"Okay then. Good luck to us all...You are dismissed." Kovu told them one final time, before they started filing out of the room.

He then exhaled and started back towards another door, this one leading to the makeshift command room. Kovu entered and found Kopa sitting behind a shut down laptop, with a file of printed papers in his hands. Kovu sighed in relief; Kopa had done it. He had done it without the help of the technology and tracking wiz Agent Dion, and he had done it when it mattered. Kopa handed him the file.

"I've found the place you were after. It was a private laboratory shut down in 2015, by Scar. However, there have been several reports of people entering the joint illegally. It was the only place that matched _all _of your conditions." Kopa informed him and held out the file for Kovu.

Just as Kovu was about to take it, Kopa withdrew his hand.

"I want to know. Why do you think it's this place? What makes you think it is this place rather than all the other hundreds of buildings in this city? How can you be sure?" Kopa questioned him.

"I am sure, don't worry." Kovu said and snatched the file away.

"How? What makes you think you can just cruise in there? You can't be over-confident. That will only bring us down." Kopa told him. Kovu shook his head.

"All I have to do is _believe._ That was something your father taught me." Kovu said and winked at him, before leaving with his information.

Kovu thought for a moment. He had completely forgotten about Simba over the course of the last few days. All of the stress, anger, depression and desperation made him forget what was really important to him; his family. A family that Heckler had taken...and that only motivated him to kill even more.

_A few hours later, Prideland City Square_

Friedrich Heckler watched Delta-Shadow prepare from the safety of a video screen. He knew, if Kovu was going to make a move at all, it would be now. He watched as his intoxicated troops set up machine gun nests and rifle squads, sealing off all the entrances to the city. Soon, the preparations were done and everyone pointed their weapons nervously. A haunting silence swept over the entire capital city, and Delta-Shadow's trigger fingers itched.

Heckler watched the rise over the road intently. Now was the time where he saw his enemy's true character.

"Now, my pretty, we see if your precious husband is noble...or a coward." He told Kiara and she scowled at him from the chair she was tied to.

They sat there watching the screen for several minutes, even though it seemed like a lot longer. Nothing came. Soon, Heckler, Kiara and all of Delta-Shadow grew bored.

"Well...it seems like Kovu is a coward after all." Heckler said in a taunting voice to Kiara and she shook her head in disbelief.

"No...h-he wouldn't." Kiara stuttered.

Heckler was about to reply, when all of a sudden, the radio burst to life.

"_WE GOT MOVEMENT TWELVE O'CLOCK!"_

"_OPEN FIRE!"_

_*DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DANG!*_

Heckler spun around and watched the screen as a machine gunner sprayed an area with his Browning M2. Heckler squinted at the screen, trying to see what he was shooting at, and then he saw it. It was two men and a woman. One man stood around six feet tall, had jet-black hair, and wore a black sleeveless shirt. It looked like Kovu. _So he is noble._

"I stand corrected." Heckler said back to Kiara and watched the fight unfold.

'Kovu' sprinted across the open, and three .50 caliber bullets caught him in the body. He instantly fell to the floor, dead. Kiara could not believe what she just saw.

"No, no, no, no...NO! W-why..." Kiara sobbed and burst into tears. 'Kovu had just been shot in front of her.

Heckler shook his head. He was expecting something greater, but seemingly, Kovu was just blinded by rage and just charged straight at his throat like a fool, and it just cost him his life, along with the other two people with him.

"_Hostiles have been handled sir." _A D-S operative reported to Heckler.

"Yes...Good work. Pack it up gentlemen; we are done. Let's start loading the choppers for tomorrow, as we are leaving at noon. I would like to thank all of you for being a part of this, as our work has finally paid off. Nothing can stop the detonation tomorrow with Kovu and his friends out of the picture. Tomorrow what we started is finished! Tomorrow...THE PRIDELANDS DESCEND INTO FLAMES!" Heckler shouted into the radio, and his men cheered.

To _them,_ it was over.

Kiara still sobbed in her chair and Heckler gently lifted her chin up with his finger.

"Congratulations my princess...we have achieved victory." Heckler said cruelly and Kiara's lower jaw shuddered.

She leant back a little and spat into his face as hard as she could, making Heckler step back a little and wipe it off his face. Heckler's jaw shuddered then too, not in sadness, but in rage. He raised his hand and delivered the most powerful, stinging slap he could. Kiara was knocked out instantly.

"FILTHY WHORE!"

Heckler was tempted to draw his Luger and finish her, but it would ruin his legacy. He wanted that child. And now that Kovu was gone, it _was _his child. He could raise him however he wanted.

Heckler kind of felt bad that that little outburst had ruined his victorious mood.

_The next day, sunrise, Site 428._

Kovu stood at the window, topless and gazing out at the sunrise, like he would have with Simba. Today was his big day, and so far, everything had gone to plan. Delta-Shadow had shot their own men that had been disguised as themselves and forced to attack. They had taken the bait. For the first time, he would catch Heckler with _his _guard down. He kissed a crucifix on his necklace and looked up at the sunrise.

_Simba...Mufasa...EJ...Dion...please. Be with me today. _

Kovu closed his eyes, and felt a gentle breeze flow through his hair. the ghostly voice of Simba then broke out.

"_Believe my boy."_

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**How was it? This took me more than a day to do and think of the final battle so please review, favorite, subscribe and all that good shit. This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


	46. Day Zero

**I know I should write for this more often if I want to finish this before December, but the probability of that is decreasing each day. So here is chapter 45, the big day. Fighting starts next chapter I promise. Anyway, in this next chapter I'm including my first musical number. This one is kind of...different...to other TLK songs. I do not own the track it was based off, just my modifications. Hope you enjoy :)**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**CHAPTER 45. DAY ZERO**

Kovu slipped on the black sleeveless shirt he had been using for the last few days and fastened his belt tightly around his urban camouflage pants. _Wazip! _He then fastened his leg holster _Click!_ before loading and pulling the slide back on Simba's Desert Eagle _Cla-Chik! _Preparation to the battle was key, and he was going to make sure he was prepared for anything, knowing Heckler's unpredictability. And if and when he found the monster, he was going to make sure he knew everything he was responsible for. This was why he fastened EJ's green headband around his head, and gave Dion's weapons to people he knew would use them well and take care of them.

He slung an ammunition belt over his shoulder, Vitani, as a machine gunner would need some ammo and fast. He would be the man to provide. The next pieces of his gear to go on were black, fingerless gloves, which snapped on tightly to his wrists. _Snap! _He then slowly walked his way up to a mirror and began applying black charcoal to his face; making black streaks down his cheeks and forehead, he growled as he did this. _Gr..._He then secured the last pieces of equipment he would need. A knife _Shing! _was sheathed, M67 grenades tucked away and a few cigars...just in case.

He then slipped on his sunglasses _**(Guitar riff) **_and made his way to the roof of Site 428, that overlooked all the hundreds of civilians and all of the army personnel. This was it. This was the day. Day Zero. At the end of this day, the Pridelands would either be freed or completely wiped out by a nuclear bomb.

He put a hand on Kopa's shoulder, who was also overlooking everyone prepare for the attack. Kopa wore a black leather jacket and sunglasses; typical of the bikers he was leading. Kopa looked his leader over and chuckled.

"Well, hello John Rambo." He almost laughed.

"Cut the shit. How much time we got left?" Kovu snapped. Kovu handed him his laptop, which still had the live feed of the nuke on it.

It read: _07:44:31._

"Jesus...we're running out of time." Kovuhissed to himself.

"What do you want us to do?" Kopa asked, his planned attack time was still almost two hours away. Kovu thought about it long and hard.

"Now. We launch now. We don't have time to sit around any longer." Kovu told him and Kopa nodded, before motioning towards the radio and the megaphone.

"_Karma...I say again, Karma. Commence Operation Prideland Freedom. Good luck to us all." _

Outside, in the grasslands where the few Army helicopter were kept, the pilots got the message on the radio. 'Karma' was the code word for the attack.

"Karma...FUCKIN' KARMA BABY!" One pilot responded enthusiastically and slapped his co-pilot a high-five. The beating of the rotors then started to speed up.

Back inside, Kovu threw the radio aside and raised the megaphone. Not all of his civilian army was ready yet, but they needed to leave now, in whatever state they were in. Time was running short. _Here we go again..._Kovu thought as he cleared his throat.

"ATTENTION!" He shouted out, and instantly the ambience of the crowd died down and they stood up to face him.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, we are going to hit the road in five minutes so get a move on." Kovu hurried them up and started towards the stairs. One man yelled back angrily.

"Why five minutes? We need that time!" Kovu stopped to look at him.

"As I said when I was pulling your ass out of the stock exchange, no victory is achievable without sacrifice. People will die today sir, and if you can't make the sacrifice of a few minutes, then I don't think you will be able to make the one of your life. And I don't want anyone on board that isn't willing to make that sacrifice. Understood?" Kovu said as he slowly made his way down the metal stairs leading out to the ground.

"Understood." The man nodded.

"Right, so what _are _you going to do? Are you ready for this?" Kovu asked him.

The man cleared his throat and raised his baseball bat (His only weapon) into the air.

"I WILL FIGHT! AND I WILL DIE!" He screamed out and shook the bat above his head.

The crowd cheered and pumped their fists into the air, as well as whatever weapons they were relying on (Pitchforks, long sticks, knives, machetes and crowbars). Kovu nodded his approval. He then stood up on some ammunition crates and raised his pistol into the air.

"GOOD! The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step...THIS IS STEP ONE!" He screamed and waited for his reply.

"GET TO THE CITY!"

"STEP TWO?"

"ASCEND TO THE CAPITAL!"

"STEP THREE?"

"RAIN FIRE!"

"STEP FOUR?"

"UNLEASH THE HORDE!"

"STEP FIVE?"

"CHASE THEM TILL THEY MEET THEIR END!"

"STEP SIX?"

"WIELD A FIST OF IRON!"

Kovu felt his throat starting to hurt from the shouting, but knew he still had the most important step of all to remind his followers of.

"AND STEP SEVEN?"

"_FREEDOM!"_

Kovu raised his gun into the air and fired a single shot, a shot that a few days ago would have made everyone flinch. But not this time. To everyone now, it was just encouragement.

_BANG!_

"And so...LET PRIDELAND FREEDOM BEGIN! KARMA!" Kovu screamed and threw the megaphone away shamelessly.

The crowd pumped their fists and weapons into the air again and let out the famous Prideland Marine cry.

"HOO-AH!"

A mechanical whine then broke out, and behind the crowd, the doors to the warehouse opened slowly, revealing a host of Humvees, armored trucks, and Kopa's motorcycle cavalry. They slowly rolled out, followed by the legion of Afghanistan Veterans. The roar of engines and rotors filled the air, as well as the chants of the crowd. Kovu didn't know how to feel, everything was ready for his one shot at saving his home. He hurriedly moved out the way of the crowd and picked up his megaphone again.

"COMMENCE STEP ONE! GET TO THE CITY!" He shouted to the horde and they started to move forward, away from the warehouse.

"GET TO THE CITY! HOO-AH!" The crowd chanted and broke into a jog, towards the shadow of the city in the distance.

As soon as there was a clear enough path, the two convoys of armored vehicles drove up on either side of the horde, escorting them to the city. The choppers then took off, with the Afghan vets inside. As the crowd and vehicles started to become specs on the horizon, and their deafening noised slowly became quieter, Kovu looked back at who was left behind.

There was Nala, Vitani, Lorenzo, ten soldiers part of his elite strike force, Kopa and his biker cavalry. Kovu turned to face them.

"Kopa, you and your cavalry better get going. Nala, Lorenzo, you try to sneak your way to the palace army base and try to get in the air with a Raptor." Kovu ordered them.

"How do we get there?" Nala asked, and instantly, Kovu tossed her a set of keys. She took them and raised an eyebrow.

"Simba's Ferrari 250. But please...not a scratch. He'd come down from heaven above and kill me." Kovu told her but realized, this was Simba's wife was stalking to. Who else was trustworthier?

"Right. Come on Colette, we're leaving." Nala said and nudged Lorenzo before taking off.

Kopa had already left and was mounting up with his bikers. Kovu looked over his strike force, which included his sister Vitani as their machine gunner. These were the people he would have to trust with his, his wife's and his country's lives. When they noted that he was looking them over, they snapped into attention.

"At ease. I will remind you guys one last time the burden that rests on your shoulders. Today, if we fail, our country will lie in ashes. Are we understood what is happening here?" Kovu asked them seriously.

"Yes sir." They replied in unison.

"Good. Then let's get this show on the road people!" He announced and pointed with both his fingers towards their mini-convoy; two Humvees and Simba's GT-500.

The soldiers scrambled into their vehicles, mounted the heavy roof-mounted machine guns and started their motors. Kovu and Vitani jumped into the front seats of the king's famous GT-500 and revved the huge, V8 motor.

_VRUM!_

_VRUM!_

The first Humvee started down the dirt trail away from Site 428 and Kovu followed, with his last Humvee right on his tail for protection.

Far behind them, Kopa revved the engine of his motorcycle to rally his biker cavalry. His ears were then filled with reply engine revs and he screamed out in approval, but his voice was not loud enough above the noise of the bikes.

"Okay, now who's ready to kick some?"

"YEAH!" They roared and revved their engines again.

"Who wants to sleep safely and free tonight?"

"YEAH?"

"ME TOO!" Kopa cried and cycled the lever action on Dion's Model 1887 shotgun with one hand, twirling the whole weapon around. _Cla-chik!_

"FIX BAYONETS!" Kopa shouted and his bikers complied, fastening their knives onto the ends of broomsticks on the front of their bikes.

Others rested shotguns and rifles between their handlebars, preparing for war. Kopa then kicked off and started to ride away, with one hand on the accelerator, and the other holding the compact M1887 above his head.

"YAHOO!" Kopa cried as they sped onto the horizon.

Kovu watched them in his rear-view mirror and thought: _hothead. _He then quickly refocused and gripped the steering wheel tighter. This was Day Zero, and he promised himself, he promised Kiara, and he promised _Heckler _he wouldn't fail. He couldn't bear to think what the monster was doing to his wife at that moment, but he knew that he would make him pay the quicker and more effective he got this done. _I'm coming Kiara...I'm coming. And Heckler you twisted son of a bitch...I'm coming for you to. Except you ain't got a ride home._ Kovu felt the occasion and the hatred of Friedrich Heckler start to sweep over him, and it was then he did something he hadn't done in years. He was storming his way to Prideland City with an army, with the thought of vengeance and hatred. He was coming for Friedrich Heckler, and he started to _sing_ about it.

"_I'm rolling thunder, I'm pouring rain!" _He sung as the shadow of the city loomed.

"_I'm coming in like a hurricane!"_

"_Heckler, you're life's flashing across the sky."_

"_You know what you've done and you're going to die!"_

"_I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives!"_

"_Your Delta-Shadow won't put up a fight!"_

"_Look out Gonzo I'm gonna take you to hell!"_

"_I'm going to get ya...Satan get ya!"_

"_Oh...HELLS BELLS!"_

"_HELLS BELLS, you got me ringing."_

"_HELLS BELLS, my temperature's high!"_

"_HELLS BELLS!"_

Vitani then found herself singing as well, and felt the same way Kovu did.

"_I'll give you painful sensations up and down your spine," _Vitani started.

"_If you're evil then you're no friend of mine!"_

"_See the gun's lights flashing as we split the fight,"_

"_Cos if cool is on the left, THEN I'M STICKIN' TO THE RIGHT!"_

"_Won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives."_

"_Old Delta-Shadow won't put up a fight!"_

"_Look out Gonzo, we'll take you to hell!"_

"_I'm going to get ya, Satan get ya, Oh..."_

Vitani and Kovu then sang the chorus together.

"_HELLS BELLS!" _

_**(Hells Bells guitar riff)**_

"_HELLS BELLS...you got me ringing."_

"_HELLS BELLS, my temperature's high!"_

"_HELLS BELLS!"_

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**How was that? I do not own _Hells Bells. _Rights go to Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Cliff Williams, Malcolm Young and Phil Rudd, 1980. My first musical chapter people. Anyway, who's glad I brought the GT-500 from TLK 1 and 2 back? Don't forget to review!  
**

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


	47. The Fight Begins

**So sorry 'bout the wait, and I did want to complete this before december, but that isn't going to happen now. Should I leave this and pick it up after Christmas? As I assure you the 'Christmas Special' would be entertaining. Or would you rather see the climax of this story, and how it all ends? There's still some cards up my sleeve here. Anyway, getting more reviews and views than ever so please keep them coming!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 46. THE FIGHT BEGINS**

_Back at Friedrich Heckler's lab, Day Zero_

Kiara had her eyes squeezed shut, so she would have to relive not the horrors on the cheap TV set in front of her chair. Heckler had programmed the TV to play back the shooting of Kovu, Kopa and Vitani continuously to only further torture her. The tears had left long, sticky streaks down her face, and she hoped that Heckler wouldn't see her like that. Because it would only please him, and she wanted to give that son of a bitch as least of what he wanted as possible. Already, Kiara was trying to think of ways to escape, and what to tell to her son when he was born, so that he could grow up to avenge his 'dead' father.

The room was illuminated only by a dim fluorescent light swinging from a wire on the ceiling, and was dead silent. Silent until _he _walked in. A clicking of locks was heard, and the metallic groaning of the door; then footsteps, getting closer and closer to her. She then felt warm breath on her neck, as Heckler whispered into her ear.

"Well, my princess...it almost time for us to depart. It has been a good run yes?" Heckler taunted yet again.

Kiara just glared at him. Heckler then walked in front of the chair she was tied to and switched off the TV set. Heckler continued to report.

"The device is scheduled to detonate in a few hours, we are packing our bags as we speak, and I have reserved a seat for you beside my on the way out of here. Sound fun to you?" Heckler asked.

"I would rather die than sit next to you for five fucking seconds." Kiara snarled back at him through clenched teeth.

"Dying can be fun...Well at least for me it is, when I cause it." Heckler replied and started moving the TV off its stool and into a box, ready to be packed for his escape.

"That's because you're..." Kiara feared for herself if she finished the sentence.

"Because I'm what?" Heckler's smile and expression faded into a frown.

Kiara decided to let it out.

"Insane." She growled.

Heckler nodded, slowly walked over to the stool in front of her chair and took a seat calmly.

"Kiara...Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?" He whispered darkly. Kiara din't reply, fearing any second he would snap into rage.

"Insanity is...doing the same...fucking thing over, and over again, expecting shit to change. That is crazy." Heckler started.

"The first time someone told me that, I thought they were bullshitting me. So I tried to kill them, and TADA! Look what it did to me." Heckler said, and showed Kiara his mutilated hand.

"Now I look at this, and realize that only thinking that the particular man who did this was 'evil' over and over again, was driving me insane. It was then I realized that evil is only what you made of it. Perhaps one day you will think the same about me..."

"Never." Kiara scowled at him. Heckler nodded.

"Okay." He said to himself before springing into action.

All of a sudden, he shoved a chloroform-soaked rag into her face, making her inhale it.

_At the city edge_

The two guiding convoys of armored vehicles had peeled off, leaving the huge crowd by itself. They flocked over the rise leading up to Prideland City, still chanting, shouting and whistling. Soon, the image of several Delta-Shadow vehicles and personnel came into focus; they were guarding the city. The runners up at the front of the crowd started to slow down in hesitation as the D-S soldiers spotted them and began to look out in curiosity. The large man that served as their 'leader' shook his head and rallied them.

"Well come on! NO FEAR!" He shouted out and the crowd cheered. He then lifted his pace into a sprint and began charging towards the city edge. The others followed suit.

_In Delta-Shadow lines_

"Sir, I've got a shit ton of civvies inbound our position." One corrupted soldier said to his commander while he looked through the binoculars.

The commander snatched them away from him and had a look for himself. It eventually came into focus and he zoomed in on the huge crowd charging his way.

"What the hell..." He murmured to himself, and jumped down from the APC he was sitting on top of.

He had been wondering why the whole city had been so unusually and hauntingly silent the past two days. It was all rushing up towards him.

"EVERYONE MAN THEIR WEAPONS! We have a whole lot of civvies closing in fast!" He announced to his troops and they scrambled into action.

They grabbed the nearest gun, and pointed it in the direction of the civilian horde. A line of them knelt down up the front with their rifles bared, while others mounted their LMGs or mounted the heavy machine guns on the tops of vehicles. It was all in order to intimidate. They didn't want any trouble. One or two people they would probably shoot, but this many people...would be hard to manage.

The frontrunners in the crowd saw the frightening display and slowed to a halt, about a hundred meters away from Delta-Shadow, who despite their firepower and attitudes, were really sweating in anxiety. This didn't look good for them. The commander picked up a megaphone and walked out in front of his troops.

"Citizens of Prideland City...You are required to return to your homes at once, or we shall fire on you." He ordered them.

The crowd remained silent for a second, before the large man spoke up.

"THIS IS OUR HOME!" He yelled back, and the crowd cheered; pumping their cheap weapons into the air.

"YEAH!"

"Last warning people...Drop your weapons and leave, or face the consequences." The commander warned them again.

"If you want our weapons...COME AND CLAIM THEM!" The large man shouted, inducing another series of jeers and chants.

The commander tried threatening them yet again, but was not heard due to the sustaining cries of the people. The threat was met with a host of erect middle fingers from the Pridelanders.

"Fire when ready." He told his assistant and he nodded. The Lieutenant waved a red flag, signaling for the machine gunners to open up.

"Okay guys...we did it to the Nazis, we did it to Scar, and we will do it again! CHARGE!" The large man screamed and pointed his machete forward, and started to sprint at Delta-Shadow.

_BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BANG! _The loud beat of the Browning M2 broke out, and the Delta-Shadow machine gunners started firing on the massive crowd.

The large man 'Servaas' as he liked to call himself started his charge, and the noise of the crowd was instantly drowned out by the sound of machine guns. He started to hear people next to him and behind him get cut down, but to his surprise, the crowd just kept going, like he and Kovu would have wanted them to. No sacrifice, no victory. they kept sprinting further and further, and more and more of them were shot dead by the incoming hailstorm of bullets.

The commander realized that the bloodbath wasn't stopping anyone, and they would be under attack whether the Pridelanders were suffering casualties or not. There was only a matter of thirty or so meters separating them now. And their ammo wasn't going to last forever. All of a sudden, a cry broke out from behind him.

"WHAT THE FU-_*BANG*"_

A grenade exploded and sent a dozen of his men flying. _Where the hell did that come from? _He thought and turned around. Through the smoke, through the fire and flames Humvees started to appear, and they were painted in a Desert Camouflage pattern. He saw markings on the side. _Prideland Army? How? They're all meant to be dead, captured or stranded in Afghanistan!_

The Delta-Shadow soldiers turned around to face the new threat; Prideland Army forces. But it seemed to late for them. They had been flanked. While they had their backs turned, fighting the soldiers, Servaas, Tojo and the civilian horde closed in.

The commander had been forced to hold off the advancing Pridelander soldiers with his own weapon, which was very unusual. He fired shot after shot from his pistol, but it all amounted to nothing. He was suddenly struck down, and felt a pounding pain in his head. The vision of the Delta-Shadow commander blurred, and he saw three faint images of his attacker. When his vision focused, he was looking straight into the eyes of Servaas, the spiritual leader of the Pridelander horde. Servaas didn't hesitate in striking again; clubbing the commander to death with his baseball bat.

The thousands of Pridelanders that hadn't been gunned down in cold blood finished the battle swiftly, beating, throat-slitting, strangling and stabbing to death the last of the Delta-Shadow unit from close range. Tojo and Servaas looked around them, the scene looked almost like a medieval battlefield in a modern setting. There were still wounded on the floor groaning amongst the mass of bodies.

The sounds of war finally started to decrease in frequency, and soon...all was silent. They had made their move, and completed step one. People looked to him, waiting for some sort of instructions. He looked at the blood-stained floor, at Tojo, then at the crowd again.

"Ladies and gentlemen...Step One is complete, are into the city. NOW FOR STEP TWO!"

"ASCEND TO THE CAPITAL!" The crowd cried out, and cheered again; pumping their weapons in the air again.

Servaas felt his radio buzz in his pocket.

"_Mr. Montenezo, this is Tyler. We are advancing parallel your positions, left and right...over." _Lieutenant Tyler informed him.

"Roger." He said and slipped the radio into his jeans pocket again.

He raised his baseball bat into the air and thrust it in the direction of the city center.

"FORWARD!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"YEAH!" The crowd shouted back in unison and cheered,

_Volker street, _Downtown_ East Side._

Kovu and his mini convoy cruised through the industrial area, not stopping for anything or anyone. They all had the same thing on their mind; objective and success. But Kovu thought something else as well; Friedrich Heckler. Once he was sure everyone was safe, he _would _kill him, no matter the cost.

He guided Simba's old GT-500 through the largely industrial area, mostly warehouses, scrapyards, loading docks, factories and construction sites. The chilling silence made him feel a little bit on edge, what if those visions he had about the location of the nuke were just...well...visions? He shook off the thought instantly, as Simba had told him to _believe, _and that wasn't believing. He shook his head and relaxed...then: _SCREECH!_

He slammed on the brakes, stopping just an inch behind the lead vehicle. _That was close. _He thought and picked up his radio.

"McKay, talk to me. What's happening? Why are we stopped?" He questioned the lead driver; Sergeant John McKay.

"We got armed hostile vehicles inbound...BACK UP! We can't be seen! Reverse into that alley back there." McKay hissed into the radio and Kovu didn't waste time.

He slammed the gear stick into reverse and backed the GT-500 into the alleyway, McKay's vehicle followed him in and reversed in front of him. Moments later, vehicles rolled past the alleyway entrance, all armed, all belonging to Heckler's forces.

"What the hell?" Kovu whispered as the column rolled past him.

"That was close." Vitani said quietly. They needed to get into Heckler's lab without him knowing. It was all about stealth.

"McKay, tap into their radio for me." Kovu ordered him.

"On it sir."

Kovu's radio buzzed for a moment, and automatically switched through channels. Finally, it stopped on one. They all listened carefully to the message.

"_We can confirm reports that there are civilian riots on the city edge, and we have had casualties, and were forced to pull back. Sending reinforcements to location now. Be warned that the hostiles are in the thousands, and there are unconfirmed reports of Prideland Military forces, over. We are dealing with the situation and it is advised to continue preparing for withdrawal."_

Kovu smiled; they had taken the bait. And it sounded like his old pal Gonzo was packing his bags and getting ready to hit the road. _Not while I'm here. _Kovu thought and slowed the car to a stop. He leapt out and sprung into action, switching the safety on his M4A1 off and switching his holographic EOtech sight on. His Strike force followed suit, and quickly got into formation. Other than the two machine gunners, they left the vehicles at least a hundred meters away from their marked building, which looked like an old, boarded up warehouse next to a scrapyard.

Kovu squinted and saw that he was right, there was at least two armed Delta-Shadow troops out the front. He signaled to keep moving with his fingers, while Sgt. McKay took point position. Vitani brought up the rear with the M249, ready to rip enemies apart.

They proceeded silently and cautiously, staying out of sight of the local workers. This was all about stealth, one little sighting could raise the alarm, and then it would be game over. Kovu moved forward in his crouched position, until he noticed something. As they neared the building, they passed a sign, which had been overgrown with moss and gunk.

"Hold up!" He hissed and everyone stopped, looking to see what he was doing.

He used his gloved hand to wipe the moss and dirt off the old sign. Kovu guessed it must be at least thirty years old. When Kovu read the sign, he knew that he definitely come to the right place.

The sign read:

_DIMITROV MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE _

_BUILDING BETTER WORLDS SINCE 2003. _

Kovu was lost in thought, but was suddenly interrupted by McKay.

"Sir, we got two tangoes headed our way! Kill or chill?"

"Kill." Kovu ordered him, before fixing a silencer onto his M4A1.

* * *

**How was it? Sorry about the abnormally long wait. Anyway...whoever can tell where the 'Definition Of Insanity' comes from and who says it gets an honorable mention next chapter! (HINT: Best game and villain in the world!) This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


	48. Mission Compromised

**Final battle is underway people. This chapter has some serious action, and throughout the course of it I drop hints at some events that are yet to come. The correct guesser of last chapter's trivia question is an anonymous reviewer that used the name 'Tymia', who correctly answered Far Cry 3, which I highly recommend to any gamers out there. Anyway, enjoy and Don't forget to review!**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**CHAPTER 47. MISSION COMPROMISED**

Kovu struggled to keep his emotions in check, there was part of him that pined to scream out in rage and gun down the two D-S patrol troops in cold blood, and there was another that told him to keep his responsible run of stealth going. _Keep control buddy...keep control._ They couldn't afford to give themselves away, not to Delta-Shadow. They had the skill of HYENA and the Prideland Marines combined, purely, because they were the best of both worlds. And that was why Heckler turned them.

The two guards casually walked over, inspecting the overgrown gardens, hazardous medical waste, and scrap metal. They had been _sure _they had heard something over there.

Kovu picked up a rock and tossed it to his left, and it struck a piece of flat metal sheeting, making a loud _CLANG _sound. The guards spun around in alarm and turned to investigate the sound.

"The hell was that?"

"I don't know." They whispered to each other.

Kovu nodded at Sgt. McKay and they unsheathed their blades, before slowly making their way forward in a crouched position. The odd piece of metal that the guards had been startled by was the last thing they saw, as Kovu and McKay clapped hands over their mouths and plunged the combat knives into their throats. They didn't even have time to scream. A textbook stealth takedown. Kovu wondered why he had even equipped the silencer on his M4A1 in the first place.

"Alright, move up on me," Kovu whispered and signaled with his hand for everyone to move forward.

They crept forward, checking their corners for new threats and flexing their fingers on the triggers of their weapons. They proceeded along the wall slowly and carefully. Kovu noticed the boarded up windows of the research center; they were rotting and there was an array of reddish-brown stains on them. _Is that blood? Creepy joint..._

Kovu heard the sound of a helicopter above them, and frantically motioned for them to get back against the wall, out of the chopper's sight. _Please don't see us...please don't see us..._ Sure enough the helicopter passed over them, but stopped not too far away, above the yard out the back of the research center. _Now what are you doing?_

Kovu stuck his head out and looked around the corner, but quickly withdrew it before he was sighted._ Shit. _There were at least fifty Delta-Shadow soldiers there, patrolling, moving boxes and supplies, and signaling the landing site for the chopper. The helicopter gently touched down on the concrete, sending dust and small pieces of debris and trash flying everywhere in a vortex. The speed of the rotors then slowly started to die down, and Kovu listened carefully to it happen. Then there were the shouts of soldiers, barking instructions to one another as the chopper powered down completely. Kovu held up a hand to his squad, telling them to stand by. He tried to listen to what instructions were being shouted.

"_YOU! Move them crates onto the chopper! Double time! And what are you two doing other than standing around like assmorons? Escort the girl to her 'seat'! NOW!" _Kovu almost lost interest until he heard the last part of that lecture.

_Kiara!_

He poked his head around the corner again to see Kiara just exit the building, being escorted by two Delta-Shadow soldiers. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she had a strip of packing tape across her mouth. Kovu could see the cuts and bruises across her face. _Savages! _He also noticed that she didn't move very well, as if she was drowsy, or had been drugged. _You leave her alone..._

"WELL HURRY IT UP!" The Delta-Shadow soldier screamed at his two 'comrades'.

They dragged her forward and she struggled to move at their pace. Soon, the soldier were almost carrying her to the extraction chopper. One man lost his temper.

"You delay us you bitch!" The man thundered and slapped her across the face.

It was then something snapped inside of Kovu. The rage and hatred finally won, and he disregarded stealth. Acting on impulse, he snapped off his silencer and switched his M4A1 to full auto. This was it. He promised to Simba the day he proposed to Kiara that he would look after her forever, and he was going to stay true to that promise. He jumped around the corner, wielding the assault rifle.

"Kovu No!" Vitani cried out, but it was too late. That was all it took.

"AARGH!" Kovu screamed and quickly dispatched Kiara's two escorts.

Kiara turned around in surprise to see her husband open fire on the Delta-Shadow, screaming and firing bursts in rage. He sprayed the entire vicinity with bullets, in a 'spray and pray' style rather than a precise one. Several troops were missed and dived for cover before they were hit by the hailstorm. Soon, the clip ran dry and Kovu was left standing in the middle of the open dumbly. He only then realized what he had just cost his mission; he might have just condemned the Pridelands.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING SIR?" McKay yelled.

A group of soldiers poked their heads out from behind some barrels and prepared to fire on the exposed Kovu. Kovu flinched; waiting for the shots but all of a sudden the group was cut down by machine gunfire. Kovu spun around to see Vitani, who still, and always would have his back. He rested the bipod of the M249 on a crate and let out a long suppressive burst; forcing Delta-Shadow to find cover again. Kovu's squad advanced, angered that their mission had just been compromised and they had been thrown into this. Kovu's squad and Delta-Shadow exchanged shots for a few moments, but Kovu was heavily outnumbered. And that was just about to get worse.

When Vitani stopped to reload, a Delta-Shadow operative sprinted across the line of fire and just managed to slam his fist down onto an alarm button on the research building. A loud drone rang out.

_DRRRRRRRNNNNNNN! _The alarm wailed.

Vitani raced to load the ammunition belt into the M249, but a splitting pain swept across her abdomen. _Ah! _She fumbled the ammo and clutched the area, thinking she had been hit. But she hadn't. The break in suppressive fire allowed Delta-Shadow to advance, and secure the area where Kiara was fearfully lying down to avoid being hit.

"VITANI GET THE MG UP AND GOING!" McKay screamed out. Vitani fought through the pain and slowly managed to get the M249 loaded. _What is wrong with me?_

It was too late though, a masked Delta-Shadow operative ran forward and dragged his precious hostage back; if they lost her, Heckler would be furious. She feebly tried to resist, but the man was too strong and slowly pulled her back to safety. More D-S soldiers moved forward and fired to cover him, while the man moved the screaming princess back inside the building. _No! _Kovu desperately fired on Delta-Shadow, but his decision to go loud had cost them big time. They were on the back foot, as D-S reinforcements showed up.

Kovu was kicking himself mentally for losing it and found himself backpedalling as he shot. He was focused on fighting, until he noticed the enemy chopper start up again and rise off the concrete. It was armed, and about to finish it once and for all.

"Someone take down that chopper!" He yelled out and fired several futile shots at the aircraft, to no avail.

The chopper turned, and opened up on his squad with the 20mm cannon. Within seconds several of his few troops were torn apart by the devastating weapon, explosions echoed around Kovu, and he was thrown to the ground by a blast. He needed to take that thing down; otherwise he would be done for if he wasn't already.

He weakly drew Simba's Desert Eagle and aimed it skywards. The sights were lined up over a missile on the side and he fired...

_BANG!_

_BOOM! _

The missile erupted into a ball of fire and the chopper was almost disintegrated. Fire and debris flew everywhere, and Kovu ducked as the aircraft crashed to earth, making an even bigger explosion. Kovu was thrown backwards, and the world went black.

_A few minutes later_

Kovu floated in and out of consciousness and the world blurred around him. His vision never came into focus, all he saw was flames around him and wreckage. Suddenly, a boot came out of nowhere and knocked him out cold.

"_Insane..."_

_In the city square_

The two sides opposed each other. Pridelander and Delta-Shadow. Citizen and intoxicated mercenary. There were hundreds of D-S soldiers now, on the east side, and they were on the west. Servaas remembered the plan, make sure they retreated east and work them around until they were forced west, onto the coastline. There were still several cards up the Pridelanders sleeves that they hadn't used yet.

He gulped at the army of intoxicated soldiers, and looked back at his own people.

"These people stand on our Capital turf. Time for Step Two...ASCEND TO THE CAPITAL!" He screamed and twirled his baseball bat.

"HOO-AH!" The massive crowd screamed. More people off the streets had joined them on their entrance to the city.

"ATTACK! DO TO THEM WHAT IS DESERVED!"

The crowd jeered and began to run forward in another fearless charge at the enemy. but this time, D-S was much better prepared and warned, and there was much more of them than before. Hundreds of flashes broke out in front of him, and his people started dropping like flies as they charged. Too many of them were bing gunned down. This wasn't bravery or patriotism; it was cold-blooded murder.

Servaas was unsure of what to do, shouldn't the army guys have engaged by now? He hesitated as he ran, and was halted by the mass of bodies that were either still suicidally charging or fleeing.

Sure enough, more and different gunshots broke out, and Lieutenants Tyler and Montez engaged from both sides. Again the move caught Delta-Shadow off guard, but this time they had the numbers and firepower advantage.

"COME ON! FORWARD!" He screamed out, but only half the crowd followed him in this time.

Delta-Shadow continued to fire, and still more and more of his people were cut down. It wasn't long before he was hit too. A bullet ripped into Servaas' upper leg and exited out back, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

"ARGH!" Servaas cried out, and grabbed his leg, but kept moving regardless. _No time for pain! Must go on!_

Soon, he finally reached the Delta-Shadow lines, and adrenaline flushed out the pain of his wound as he engaged. He trudged up to a enemy machine gunner and brought down his baseball bat onto his head with as much force as possible. The bat snapped on his head, and killed him. Servaas was then forced to pick up a shovel that one of his dead people had fancied as a weapon and used that.

An enemy rifle was swung at him, but he ducked it skillfully and twirled around, generating momentum in his next attack. He swung the shovel around and it smashed into the soldier's face, knocking him out. He then stabbed the sharp end forward and cut the man's throat. He fought in such an old fashioned style, he had just brought a shovel to a gunfight and was winning.

His immense size and weight intimidated Delta-Shadow, and he fought on courageously. But bullets soon found their way to him. Two more shots struck him, in the thigh and side. The shovel slowly fell out of his hands and he felt himself fall...

As he hit the earth he watched as the highly trained and skilled Delta-Shadow started to show their might. They started to overcome the Pridelander horde, and Servaas watched feebly as his people were killed one by one. He was done, his cause so as well. It was over.

He started to think in his mind that he knew Operation Prideland Freedom was just nothing more than just a last roll of the dice, but deep down he felt that he had proved something. That regardless of his and his country's failure, they had proved something to the world. Before a few days ago, Servaas was just a accountant that did the occasional boxing. Back then he had not a care in the world. Now he was about to die.

The sounds of the fighting started to cease, and he could only hear the weak cried of pain from his survivors of the fight. D-S had won. He watched as they started rounding up the survivors, while the others continued to hold of the Army from either side, but defeat in that area was becoming imminent.

Servaas closed his eyes, and hoped that Delta-Shadow would just kill him there, instead of leaving him and letting him suffer the effects of the nuke.

He heard no shots however, and it only made his spirits lower. _Please kill me. _

Then he heard noises that changed all that...the sound of engines, and _music?_

* * *

**How was it? Two days in a ROW! Anyone like the character of Servaas? ( Guy referred to as 'the large man' in earlier chapter) This non-stop action is just the start of my grand finale. **

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


	49. The Way Back

**Chapter 48 (Jesus Christ this story went for longer than expected) and I am proud of this one. I liked the end product, and I want to know what you people think. The end of this story is near, as the final battles are well underway. Anyway, who wants Servaas to be added to the favorite OC poll? Anyone? Enjoy guys.**

**Scbenson2001: I don't know if you're just messing around, or if you are an 11 year old fool. That chapter that was supposedly 'copyrighted' was from err...The Lion King? And what sort of fanfic is this? Umm...The Lion King possibly? Seriously mate. **

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**CHAPTER 48. THE WAY BACK**

Servaas clutched the bullet wound on his thigh; warm, crimson blood oozed through the gaps in his fingers, and onto the earth. His vision started to blur, and he zoned out from the sounds of battle, awaiting the shot, the shot that would put him out of his and his country's misery. _Please be over _he thought and bit his lip in pain.

Soon, he was sure his horde had been completely defeated at the hands of the highly skilled Delta-Shadow, and assumed that D-S were either finishing off his people or rounding up survivors. He heard the odd shot, and from there on he knew, that there was no happy ending left. The fear had just turned into acceptance; acceptance of defeat.

He closed his eyes, and kept hearing the horrific sounds of his people being executed one by one or their haunting cries for mercy. But no mercy was shown. Servaas was always a fighting man, and in the back of his mind, he prayed for some sort of miracle over the execution he wanted so quickly. Suddenly, the sounds of miracles, if there was any particular sound to them, were heard. The sound of familiar _music. _

Servaas' eyes snapped open, and he jerked his head around to look over the rise in the urban road. The music slowly became louder and louder, and he started to recognize the iconic sound of the Gibson SG guitar, and that familiar riff...Along with the sound of engines, many, many engines.

_Over the rise in the road, a few hundred meters away, a few moments earlier_

Kopa held one hand firmly down on the accelerator of his motorbike and used the other to slip shotgun shells into Agent Dion's Model 1887. It was emergency time. And a cavalry charge was needed. He knew he wasn't supposed to engage yet, but he had no other choice. Their cause was in danger.

He led the host of motorcycles and rode a few meters in front of them. He turned around and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"LET'S LOCK 'EM AND LOAD 'EM LADIES, ITS GO TIME!" The bikers complied, cocking any firearms they had and switching their safeties off.

"Two hundred meters and closing!" One biker yelled out.

"FIX BAYONETS!" Kopa screamed and everyone extended out their knife-tipped broomsticks on their handlebars.

"And turn the music on...it scares the hell out of the dopes." Kopa commanded again. 'The Dopes' was a new nickname given to the drugged up Delta-Shadow by the bikers and some soldiers.

The biker to Kopa's left flank reached back with his free hand and pressed 'play' on a sound system strapped to the back. It played the Pridelander's song of war, and the biker's 'signature song' as they like to call it. It would only inspire them, and strike fear into the hearts of the Delta-Shadow.

Kopa held his readied the shotgun with his left hand and squeezed harder on the accelerator with his right. Music blasted into his ears and engine fumes filled his nose. As they drove over the rise, they got their first view of the battle that had unfolded in the city square. And it instantly reminded Kopa of the aftermath of the airport massacre. Hundreds of bodies lay everywhere, and the floor seemed to have acquired a new red 'paint job'. Kopa scanned through the sea of bodies and finally found the man he needed to see; Servaas Monetenezo. And he was in no fighting state that was for sure. He was only seconds away from being found and executed by D-S. That couldn't happen. Delta-Shadow couldn't win.

They had seemed to handle the civilian horde effectively enough, but were still holding off the two flanking teams of army personnel; and weren't having much trouble with that. Time for that to change. It was time for the _cavalry._

Servaas used all his remaining strength to look up and confirm his hopes. Palladino and the rednecks were there. And they were ready to fight. A slight smile came to his face when he saw his to-be executioners look around in fright, and what they saw shocked them; almost fifty motorbikes heading straight for them, led by a man who had a black leather jacket, sunglasses, auburn hair and a M1887 shotgun ready to shoot. They raced back to warn their commanding officer, but they were too late.

"SIR, WE GOT ARMED HOSTILE VEHICLES COMING IN FROM- AARGH!" The Delta-Shadow soldier tried to yell, but was silenced by a twelve gauge slug.

The biker cavalry had engaged, and were taking their toll. No one in D-S had expected it, nor foreseen it. They were too unfocused to check their backs. Now they were trapped.

Kopa's bikers fanned out into the crowd of people, both hostile and friendly, and began to fight on bike-back.

**(**_**Back in Black Guitar Riff)**_

Kopa mouthed the lyrics to the song being played as he swooped in. He swerved between surviving civilians, and didn't hesitate running over Delta-Shadow operatives. Delta-Shadow was in a state of panic and was rushing back to their abandoned weapons. Too late, though.

Kopa caught sight of one of the groups trying to run to a weapons cache but slowly guided his bike alongside them, and held out his shotgun. _BANG! _One down. He twirled the shotgun around, cycling the lever action with one hand. _CLA-SHIK! BANG! CLA-SHIK! BANG! _He wasted all three of them. He then maneuvered his bike around so that he didn't smash an armed truck. He skillfully drove in and out of tight crowds, now in a renewed battle. Kopa let his bikers do the dirty work, and for once, he was pleased that Delta-Shadow had someone shooting back at them unlike before.

Servaas watched the battle unfold and quickly tied his belt around his bullet-wound, so that the bleeding would stop and he could get back in it. A motorbike then pulled up alongside him, and he looked up into the eyes of Conner 'Kopa' Palladino, who held out a hand, a hand that he accepted.

Despite Servaas' size, Kopa still managed to pull him onto the bike with ease. He then handed Servaas his shotgun, and revved the engine of his bike.

"I'll drive, you shoot." Kopa told him and Servaas nodded.

Kopa then squeezed down on the accelerator, and began on another slalom through the battle. He weaved through friendly and enemy soldiers alike, while Servaas pumped slug after frenzied slug into the panicked bodies of the Delta-Shadow 'dopes'. Soon, Servaas ran out of shells. But he did at the right time.

Delta-Shadow was bloodied, trapped, and defeated. The firing and fighting had ceased, as D-S were between the Prideland horde survivors at one end, a line of biker cavalry at another, and the two flanking army companies stood on either side, with their weapons aimed. Kopa and Servaas dismounted, and Tojo rushed over to help his new wounded friend.

" 'Vaas brother, you okay?" He asked.

"I'll live."

Kopa then pushed his way to the front of the group and looked over his captives. He scratched his chin and turned to Servaas.

"Now what were our orders again?" He asked, knowing the answer.

"Kill as much as possible." Servaas told him.

"Right, and what were they just doing to your unarmed people before I showed up?" Kopa asked again, making sure Delta-Shadow could hear him.

"Executing us." Servaas confirmed. Kopa could see the enhanced fear in Delta-Shadow's eyes.

"Okay...So who is in charge here?" Kopa asked all the Delta-Shadow survivors.

"WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?" Kopa thundered, and one man walked forward.

Unlike other D-S troops, he wore the red and black armband had extra stripes on his shoulder insignia. He wasn't lying alright. Kopa dragged him back by his neck and spoke to him softly.

"You see this? This is for my father, for my friend, for all the people you just murdered, and for all the innocent blood your organization has shed." Kopa snarled. Vengeance wasn't something he normally believed in, but no one was acting normally were they?

He held up a hand, and closed his fingers into a fist. _RATATATATATANG! _All the armed Pridelanders gunned down their captives in cold blood. The Commanding D-S officer gasped, and his jaw shuddered in fear. Kopa then drew his knife and slashed off the right ring finger of the D-S commander, and grinned smugly.

"There you are...just like your boss." Kopa growled to the whimpering Delta-Shadow commander. He had just done to this man what Scar had done to Heckler years before, but this time, this man wasn't going to put his country in a terrible crisis over it.

_BANG! _Kopa had seen enough, and shot him dead.

Kopa then turned to Servaas and nodded. Those civilians that had fled the battle beforehand, had returned, along with local police officers in hiding, and more people that had heard the commotion. Servaas cleared his throat.

"STEP TWO IS COMPLETE! NOW FOR STEP THREE...RAIN FIRE!" He yelled out, and people responded yet again.

"STEP THREE! RAIN FIRE! HOO-AH!"

To be honest, Servaas didn't really know what Kovu meant by 'rain fire', but with Delta-Shadow reinforcements approaching, and the sound of jet fighters somewhere above him, Servaas started to understand. He pulled his walkie-talkie out of his sweaty and bloodstained pocket, and started switching through radio channels.

"Hello? Identify!"

"_This is Corporal Colette Lorenzo of the Prideland Royal Marine Corps on air support stand by..."_

That was all Servaas needed to hear, before leading his people out to face the Delta-Shadow threat in front of them; with their backs to East Side. _Time to rain fire..._

No one from Delta-Shadow noticed the F-22s above them start to circle like vultures, nor the mysterious vessels off the coast...

_In the Dimitrov Medical Research Center; a.k.a: Heckler's lab_

Images of the past few weeks flashed through Kovu's head, the visions, the events, the lessons learned...everything.

_Evil_

_Insanity_

_Vengeance_

_E115_

_Kiara..._

_Heckler...KILL HIM!_

He felt himself open his eyes, to complete darkness, but he heard the sound of a muffled voice. Then he faded off again. He seemed to list all the intended actions he came here with.

_Hunt_

_Kill_

_Avenge_

_Free_

_Fuck_

_Eat_

_Stop_

_Steal_

_KILL HECKLER!_

It was like he had been completely brainwashed. He opened his eyes again, after a light in the pitch black room was switched on. He forced open his heavy eyes, and tried to wipe them. But he found that he couldn't, his hands were stuck behind his back; tied to either side of a chair. _What the hell? _Slowly, Kovu started to remember everything that had happened; the fight, the explosion and everything going black.

He struggled against the rope, but id didn't budge, and it seemed to be getting tighter. He tried to yell for help, and realized there was packaging tape over his mouth. He tried to yell and yell again, but it only came out as muffled moans.

Kovu twisted his head around, and looked around the haunting room he was in. There were bloodstains on the walls, a switched off TV set, and a door. Next to him in another chair was another person, a woman. Kiara!

Kovu tried calling out to her, but again the sound was muffled. He rocked about on his chair violently in frustration. Kiara heard him and quickly looked at him with a worried face, shaking her head; as if to say; _please...don't do that!_

Kovu roared in anger, and panted into the tape, but he was quickly silenced. The door to the room swung open, and Friedrich Heckler/Hans Von Gonzo walked in slowly, nodding.

"Bold attempt yes?" Heckler said to Kovu softly. Kovu just growled from behind his tape.

"BECAUSE I FUCKING THOUGHT IT WAS INSANE!" Heckler snapped, breaking the quiet atmosphere, and the outburst made Kovu flinch. The man was downright nuts.

Heckler then swung a punch at him, which caught Kovu in the jaw. To force of the blow knocked Kovu's chair over, and Kovu winced in pain as his head smashed into the floor. Heckler cracked his knuckles and pulled Kovu's chair up straight.

"Kovu Blackburn...There is so much shit I want to do to you right now that I have the opportunity. Out there, you thought you had your finger on the trigger. Now you're here...trapped like a fucking rat! And the thing is, I did not bring you here. You walked in here by your own god damn self." Heckler rambled on angrily.

He then drew a yellow syringe, as well as a knife.

"You've proved me wrong. I thought you had given up, like any other soul on earth would do in the circumstances. But you...you found a way! And your hatred screwed it up for you?" Heckler shook his head in disgust.

"You're smart enough to find a way...but you can't follow through." Heckler held Kovu's bound arm and plunged the syringe in, watching as the yellow liquid ooze into his system.

Kovu's pains instantly disappeared, but he felt a whole lot weaker. And he felt fear...

Heckler's image in front of him faded into the one of Scar, talking to him in Heckler's voice. His vision then began to blur awkwardly.

"You better thank me Kovu...Cause I'm going to free your fucking soul." Heckler snarled.

The E115 brought back the horrific hallucinations, and made Kovu feel scared. Worst of all, he lost the will to fight. He felt so scared. Heckler slit his scar again, making it bleed. It was the ultimate insult to Kovu, but he felt no spite. Just fear. Heckler was then confident enough of his own work to cut Kovu's bindings, and hand him his loaded Luger handgun.

Heckler made Kovu press the weapon against his own head, while taunting him. All Kovu had to do was pull the trigger, and he couldn't.

"Come on Kovu...shoot me. DO IT! Shoot me motherfucker!" Kovu couldn't tell whether it was Scar or Heckler telling him what to do. The image kept changing.

"Pull the trigger! PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER!" Scar seemed to scream at Kovu, but then he realized it was actually Heckler, and Scar was long dead.

Heckler snatched the gun away from him.

"I've never seen a greater coward in my life. One shot was all it took my friend. I would have thought you'd seen enough hell on earth to not be affected. To not feel fear, but it is that fear that has just cost your country." Heckler said and showed him his watch.

"Look...fifteen minutes. I've still got a chopper loading outside, better get a move on shall we?" Heckler reported and left the room.

There was fifteen minutes until the Pridelands went up in flames, when the nuke detonated. Heckler left the room contently, leaving behind a drugged Kovu and a crying Kiara. He thought he had won, despite the unexpected turn of Kovu making a stand.

Kovu's hands were still left untied. His instincts told him to reach out and grab them, so he painfully leant forward. But the fear stopped him.

_You're smart enough to find a way...but you can't follow through._

_Tomorrow the Pridelands go up in flames..._

_Why do you even bother? We're finished._

_It was your fault Simba died. You should have been the one that dived in front of those bullets._

The voices of all those he knew echoed in his head, discouraging him. But somewhere within him, he felt Simba's presence, and he fought himself. _Believe Kovu...believe..._

He resisted the intoxicating E115 induced emotions and against all odds, his hands finally found their way down onto the ropes binding his feet...

* * *

**How was it? I thought I did well with this chapter, and that it was one of the better ones. What do you guys think? What are your favorite chapters so far? Let's try and breach 200 reviews, (THE DOUBLE CENTURY!) So that means if you are just reading this and don't normally review, give us an opinion!**

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always mr friends...Have a nice day.**


	50. Deep Into The Heart Of Insanity

**Chapter 50...Well...That escalated quickly...This is some full length shit. And 200 reviews...The double century! I want to thank all of the readers who made this possible, way back from TLK MHV 1. This has been real fun, and thanks for all the feedback. The end of this story is near, and I'm doing my best to write a chapter every day now! Just like old times!**

**Scbenson2001: It's all good mate. I guess I'm sorry I lost it at a misunderstanding, as if a story is posted under a particular category, and uses elements from that category, it isn't plagiarism, so I'm sorry if you didn't know that. I didn't mean offense when I say the 11 year old thing, its just that my co-author and myself have had problems with 10/11 year olds on this site before. Glad to hear that actually like the story other than that chapter :) As for your question, its a surprise ;)**

**Carrie: Okaayy...Cheers for that :)**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

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**CHAPTER 49. DEEP INTO THE HEART OF INSANITY**

Kovu panted and sweated as he struggled against himself, against the side of him that told him it was over; the side that was brought on by the chemical E115. That was the side of him that taunted him in his mind and reminded him of all the failure and loss of the last few weeks, in the voice of the monster Friedrich Heckler. Each centimeter his hands moved closer to the ropes binding his feet, the more the discouragement, pain, fear and sorrow grew. _I can't do it...NO! I can...make yourself do it. _

Heckler was almost immune to his own toxin. How? He felt no fear. Why did he feel no fear? He was insane. The only way through the E115 intoxicated mind was insanity; to forget fear, and accept all the evils you do and that are done to you as simply part of yourself. For once, Kovu let go of his fear, and felt himself start to not care. Slowly, the hissing voices and visions started to cease, and Kovu found the strength to tear the ropes off his feet. Suddenly, it stopped. The voices, the pain, everything.

Kovu stood up and slowly walked over to Kiara, who didn't know what she was seeing. Kovu shouldn't have been able to do that, the psychological effects of the toxin were normally too great. Kiara's jaw shuddered as she watched her husband, the father of his child, and the only man she ever loved walk over to her menacingly, with a chaotic fire in his eyes. He looked crazy.

Kovu looked her over, before searching the room to find something to cut with. Eventually, he found a Leatherman utility knife and used it to slash off Kiara's tight bindings. Kiara rubbed her sore hands and looked into Kovu's solemn face.

"Thank you my love...How did you-" Kiara panted but was cut off.

"Insanity." Kovu replied abruptly before bursting into maniacal laughter.

Kiara's eyes opened wide in shock.

"You...you're just like him..." Kiara almost cried. This wasn't the man she fell in love with.

"NO! Never! I still and always will love you Kiara. Find my sister and Sergeant McKay, and then release them. I trust in you." Kovu replied and planted an unusually wet kiss on her cheek.

He then handed her the knife and left the room; to finish it all. Kovu found himself in a long corridor, with several doors and exits. He had no idea where to go, other than he knew wherever it was, it would only be deeper into the heart of insanity. The voices in his head started again, but not the E115 induced ones. They were the voices of the great kings, whispering to him eerily, guiding him.

Kovu seemed to be almost supernaturally drawn to a door at the end of the corridor. It seemed to glow for him, telling him where to go. Kovu trudged that way, hearing and seeing nothing other than what was being played out for him. He heard the voices, flashbacks and the thumping of his heart. The voices started chanting the same things he heard before in his sleep...

_Hunt_

_Kill_

_Avenge_

_Free_

_Fuck_

_Eat_

_Stop_

_Steal_

_KILL HECKLER!_

He wearily twisted the handle of the door, and entered another pitch-black room. It seemed to light up automatically for him, and he limped through it. His abnormal vision or 'insanity' seemed to highlight paper lying about the floor, and read aloud their words. He heard the words of evil, in planning for all that had happened. Kovu yelped in pain from just thinking about it and struggled onwards, with images of the past few days still flashing in front of his eyes. The voice of Simba played again to him

_Believe my son, and one day, everything will be right. _

_Take my Desert Eagle pistol, the sword of the kings, and fight through the pain. It will only leave as weakness._

_Find Doctor Friedrich Heckler, find my daughter your wife, find the weapon. _

_Serve Justice._

_Remember, I will always be there to guide you, if you let me._

Kovu persisted on, and exited the dark room. He then entered another corridor, and again, the voices, the _insanity;_ the belief guided the way for him. He took a left down the corridor, and started down another. This one older, more run down, and had cobwebs and bloodstains riddled across the walls and floors. It was also very dirty; looking like few had been there before. The door at the end glowed red; it seemed to pulsate, drawing Kovu towards it. _I'm coming for you Heckler. COME ON! _He moved forwards at an agonizingly slow rate, and again had to fight the E115 induced pain and fear with insanity.

He seemingly knocked down the door, and entered a dimly lit laboratory. Wind blew through the boarded up windows, making a chilling moaning sound. Kovu felt his heart sink when he entered the room. This was where it all began, way back in 2015. This was the heart of insanity. This was the lair of Friedrich Lukasz Heckler.

As Kovu slowly entered the room, the voices, the visions, and the guidance ceased. All he could feel was the uneasy haunting feeling the place brought, and fear. Natural fear. He slowly proceeded forward, and the wind slowly picked up, making the environment feel even colder. As Kovu walked, he heard voices, not like the ones from before, but like ones of ghosts replaying a scene.

"_So what am I trialing doc?"_

"_Painkillers of the newest type."_

"_Really, what's in them?"_

"_That is my business. Now sit back."_

_*Pause*_

"_Wow. That was quick. It worked, can I leave now?"_

"_No. You volunteered for more than this I'm afraid."_

"_Wait, what? No...no...WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?"_

"_Yes...These are the results I wanted to see."_

_Shrill screams break out followed by Heckler's sadistic laugh._

"_PLEASE... HELP ME! YOU'RE EVIL, DOCTOR! "_

"_No...Evil is only what you make of it, remember that for future."_

_Slowly, the screams fade away._

Kovu looked to his left and saw a medical observation table, stained by blood and some other liquid. He walked forward slowly to investigate, and found that that this was no ordinary medical office, it was a sealed off booth. Probably where Heckler tested his terrible drug on some poor soul while they were trapped like a rat in a box. There was blood writing all over the walls to prove this; telltale signs of E115 intoxication. Kovu saw the message _FrEdDy iS a LiAr _stained onto the tiled wall. That was how Heckler got to the final version of his toxin, by lying to people and testing it on them, slowly killing them horrifically.

Kovu continued to hear more and more flashbacks of innocent people being tortured by him, so he quickly walked away from the test booth so that he would hear no more. Most of the lab was run down, and looked like it hadn't been touched in years. But Kovu saw the signs of recent work there; fresh test tubes, bullets, papers and plans were splayed out all over the place.

This lab, was truly hell on earth. Kovu shook his head, before he was suddenly startled by a voice.

"_Five minutes till Zero time." _The female, digital voice announced. Kovu snapped his head up, and listened carefully.

He closed his eyes and focused, and eventually he began to hear a soft beeping, coming from the corner of the room. He slowly walked towards it, but heard another noise...

It broke the silence and Kovu spun around to see a tissue box fall onto the floor from a countertop behind him. _Weird. _Kovu looked around, but saw that he was still alone. There was nobody there but him. He felt like he wasn't alone though, as he knew that Heckler was still running around somewhere in the building, now that Kovu had destroyed his evac chopper. He could be anywhere.

Kovu composed himself and followed the beeping sound to a corner of the room, where a stack of boxes was covered with a grey tarpaulin. The beeping seemed to be coming from in there. Kovu lifted off the tarpaulin, and it knocked a picture frame into the ground, which shattered on impact. Kovu flinched at the sudden loud noise and checked behind him to see if anyone had heard. Nothing.

Kovu picked up the smashed frame, and found a picture of a much younger Heckler with another man, and they both held a certificate together. The caption read; _Ivan Dimitrov and Friedrich Heckler, winners of the 2006 medical science exhibition. _Kovu put the frame down and shook his head. _So this was before he went bad._

He then completely removed the tarpaulin, and was met by the sight of the nuclear bomb. The one that was going to blow in under five minutes. the red digital counter on the outside of the box read: _00:04:38_ Kovu took a deep breath and opened the brief case, revealing the E115 and plutonium tubes as well as the plutonium. There was also a series of wires and Kovu needed to figure out which to cut.

He closed his eyes, and felt around, waiting for guidance. Soon, he heard a long breath in his mind and his fingers seemed to wrap themselves around a blue wire. He opened his eyes, and didn't hesitate. He yanked it out with all the force he could. _There we go, what next..._ A button then lit up, which had the word _Deactivate _written underneath it. Kovu smiled smugly and cracked his knuckles. Finally, it was over.

He raised his hand, about to push the button, when suddenly a shadow consumed him and the nuke; the shadow of a man behind him. The shadow had his fingers outstretched, and that was when Kovu saw the sight that he would forever associate with evil...The four-fingered right hand.

Then, panic swept over him and he tried to turn around, but it was too late. A cold needle plunged into his shoulder, and he fell to the floor...

_Back in the city, earlier..._

Servaas and Tojo watched in delight as the Delta-Shadow reinforcements were suddenly consumed by balls of fire, delivered by Corporal Lorenzo's fighter squadron. Nala and Lorenzo had made it, and it was just another bonus for the Pridelander cause. But it made Servaas wonder if Kovu had succeeded in his mission, otherwise all the blood and effort would have counted for nothing. Right now, he just needed to focus on defeating Delta-Shadow.

Servaas watched the survivors from the air strike slowly get to their feet and crawl away from the fight. _Not on my watch, cowards. _Servaas thought and stood in front of his civilian army again, and they became silent immediately when he turned to face them. He had led by example, and fought braver than anyone there, so they would listen to him.

"WE HAVE RAINED FIRE! NOW FOR STEP FOUR!"

"UNLEASH THE HORDE!" The crowd cried in unison and pumped fists and weapons into the air.

"DO WHAT MUST BE DONE! SHOW NO MERCY!" Servaas screamed as the crowd rushed past him, towards the stricken Delta-Shadow survivors.

Servaas limped with them, and watched his people destroy what was left of the 'dopes'. They crowded around survivors in a completely unorganized and vicious manner, beating them to death. Servaas just watched as the Pridelands for once, worked and fought as one body. No guns were required, just the will to win.

Soon, the horde had finished the last of them. The enraged citizens composed themselves and awaited their next instruction. Servaas pulled himself on top of a piece of wreckage so that he could be seen and heard by all. They had made it to the city, ascended to the capital, rained fire and unleashed their horde. Now it was time to chase them until they could run no more.

"STEP FIVE?"

"CHASE THEM UNTIL THEY MEET THEIR END!"

Servaas nodded and pointed forward again. Down the main road a few hundred meters, more Delta-Shadow troops turned up. Full combat squads, ATVs, gun trucks and much more. They were no match.

"CHARGE!" Tojo screamed and sprinted forward, and the other thousands of people followed his lead, running suicidally at the assault force.

The sight of thousands of armed, crazed civilians was one to behold, and Delta-Shadow slammed on the brakes of their vehicles, before starting to reverse backwards. The people only quickened their pace. They reversed back around a corner, but were stopped again.

Delta-Shadow found themselves staring down the barrels of hundreds of Pridelander soldiers' guns. It was Lt. Tyler's unit, with all their Humvees, and other vehicles. They had been flanked again. For the first time, the Pridelands used all of its chess pieces to perfection.

"Surprise Dopes!" Tyler cried out, and closed his fingers to form a fist.

"OPEN FIRE!"

_BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BANG!_

The machine gunners opened fire, and butchered many Delta-Shadow troops, who stood no chance against the combat veterans of Afghanistan. They reversed whatever intact vehicles they had, and found themselves retreating into East Side, where they were blocked. Blocked by their own forces. It was the entire Delta-Shadow ground force, sent to counter the growing Pridelander threat. But they were the world of hurt now...

They turned back and fled, leaving the Prideland Army in their wake. The surviving Delta-Shadow soldiers panted and got their breath back.

"Where do we go now?" One panicked soldier cried out.

"North!" Another man replied.

They headed on in that direction before they started to hear things that spelt doom for them, the sound of many, many motors, and AC/DC. It was Kopa and the Cavalry.

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**How was it? I would say the story is resolved in the next two chapters, but I have one final surprise after that :O Let's see some reviews! **

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


	51. The Rise of HYENA

**CHAPTER 50! THE GRAND FINALE! Ladies and Gentlemen, this has been a long time coming, and it finally here. In this chapter, we have our resolution. I am very pleased with the way this has turned out and the reviews I have gotten so thanks to all! And Commander in Chief Kovu Blackburn sends his regards as well. This chapter was my favorite to write, and hopefully it will keep you on the edge of your seat. If not, I shall play Russian Roulette till I lose.**

**Scbenson2001: To answer the question, He was 21 I think. Right before he was reunited with Nala. **

**CHAPTER 50. THE RISE OF HYENA**

The driver of the Delta-Shadow APC flinched as the host of motorcycles flew over his vehicle, and landed on the other side safely. _Son of a bitch...They're everywhere! _They then wheeled around and lowered their vicious knife tipped broomsticks; preparing to pick off the Delta-Shadow foot soldiers.

That convoy of vehicles plus all the infantrymen was all that Delta-Shadow had left. They weren't a large organization, or an invincible one; as proved by the will of the Pridelanders. There was no way out for them, their airlifts had been destroyed, and they would either be destroyed by the Pridelander onslaught or be incinerated when that nuke went off.

Soldiers sprayed automatic gunfire everywhere, trying to hit one of the swift and unpredictable bikers; but hitting the moving, armed target was near impossible and many of them ended up shooting their own people by accident. The driver of the APC gritted his teeth and slowly turned towards the north, like the man from earlier had suggested. It was the only way out. Suddenly, a hailstorm of buckshot smashed into the side window, completely breaking the glass and damaging the front windshield. The driver flinched and stamped his foot down on the accelerator. That had been too close. One more inch to the right, and he would have been dead.

"GO, GET OUT OF HERE!" The assistant driver screamed into his ear above the roar of battle.

Whatever was left of Delta-Shadow jumped onto or in a vehicle and they started to flee. For the first time in the whole campaign, they were outgunned, outmaneuvered, and outsmarted. Whichever way they turned, they seemed to meet trouble, from the Prideland civilian mob, the Prideland Afghanistan veterans, or Kopa and the biker cavalry.

Soon, the convoy seemed to be losing the Pridelanders, and the driver heard the noises of battle start to fade. _Ugh..._His heart still pounded inside his chest and his ears rang. Never before had he been so close to losing his life. The many other surviving Delta-Shadow vehicles found their way into formation, and the few surviving soldiers slowed to a jog or walk. What was happening? How were they getting so beaten? Heckler should have foreseen this. It was then the driver realized, that that was their weakness. They had no will, and they were over dependent on their evil leader.

The driver started to get his breath back, and put his head on the steering wheel in exhaustion. They were safe, for now. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open again. _VWOOSH!_ He looked up in the sky, and saw the tiny black specs buzzing above them like wasps. They were fighter jets, and they weren't theirs.

"Jesus Christ...we got enemy aircraft right above us!" The assistant driver said in a voice that was rapidly becoming a scream.

The driver then realized how exposed he was, and shoved the APC into gear. They were right in the middle of the open, right where the planes wanted them. He turned the vehicles westwards and stamped on the gas pedal, hoping that they would make it out of there before the planes fired.

"MOVE! FASTER! THEY'RE LOCKING ONTO US DAMN IT!" A soldier in the back screamed.

The driver put his foot to the floor and didn't look back, hoping that Lorenzo and the fighters wouldn't get them in time. A deafening explosion then rang out, and the driver felt his vehicle get launched forward at a quicker rate. He felt the heat from the explosion on his face, and smelt the fumes.

He looked in his mirror to see that two troop carriers behind them had been blown to kingdom come, and the road behind him was littered with debris and flames. His jaw started to shudder uncontrollably in fear that this would be the end for him.

_Above_

Colette Lorenzo watched on her targeting screen as the convoy of vehicles sped back towards the safety of the city. Slowly, she locked on. _Beep...beep...beep-beep...beep-beep...BEEEP! _She felt her finger slip down the Raptor's joystick, but she didn't squeeze. Deep down, she knew that she wasn't the only one that wanted revenge. she had already shot down all of D-S's air support, and taken out several ground units as well. She had had her fun.

_Below_

The Delta-Shadow convoy started to build up some speed, and blasted their way westwards, back towards the coastline. The lead driver again found himself having to get his breath back, and he wiped the sweat from his forehead. _Where to now? The coast..._There was a large probability that there was a few commercial or patrol boats that they could escape the country on, and then they could flee Western Europe and maybe go up to England, or down to Africa. The point was they needed to leave the Pridelands before they were all wiped out.

They started down the main road again, and they began to hear the noise of the Pridelander horde behind them. _These guys just don't give up, do they?_

Servaas tirelessly led the charge on the surviving Delta-Shadow troops. He ran at full speed again, with his machete bared. He didn't seem to feel the pain anymore, despite there being three bullets wedged into him somewhere, he moved like he was powered by some unnatural force. He felt no fatigue, no pain, and no remorse. The image of the Delta-Shadow survivors seemed to grow fainter and fainter in front of him. Soon, they were only specks on the horizon. They had stopped at the coastal drive, and their troops were starting to jump out of the vehicles, thinking that they were safe enough away from the Prideland mob. However, they failed to scan the sea behind them, and two grey vessels waited off the coast.

Servaas slowed down and held up a hand. That was the cue for the mob to slow down and stop. He paced in front of them and started again;

"STEP FIVE IS COMPLETE! We have chased them! And they are about to meet their end! NOW FOR STEP SIX!"

"WIELD A FIST OF IRON!" The crowd shouted back. Servaas nodded his approval and changed his radio frequency.

"Timon?"

"_I read you, man."_

"Wield a fist of iron. Fire at will." Servaas told him.

"_Roger that. Its time to end this."_

_One mile off the coast, HMS Ahadi_

Timon lowered his radio and looked into his binoculars. Sure enough, Delta-Shadow had been forced to retreat to the coastline; right where he wanted them. He was on the bridge of the Navy Destroyer the HMAS _Ahadi,_ and was about to get back at the monster that had taken the life of the man that he had raised; Simba. He nodded at the captain and he spoke into the PA.

"_Man battle stations, I repeat, man battle stations."_

Sirens wailed on the ship, and soon the all clear came. Timon watched Delta-Shadow scramble to safety on the coastal road.

"This one's for Simba. Let's pump some lead into these motherfu-"

_BOOM!_ They were already firing.

The huge 105mm canon of the Destroyer fired, letting out an ear splitting sound. Timon watched intently as the whole coastal road seemed to explode, sending vehicles parts, debris, and people flying everywhere. They were picking off the remainders of the fading Shadow.

_BOOM! _The canon fired again, inflicting the same damage. Timon smiled as he saw the so called invincible Delta-Shadow run around like headless chickens, not knowing where to go or what to do. The crew of the _Ahadi _loaded another shell and fired.

_BOOM!_

Finally, Heckler's army were no more.

_Back at Heckler's lab_

Kovu dropped to the floor and felt all the fear, pain, voices and sorrow from before return to him. He also now felt partially immobile, and could not feel his legs. He was too weak. He was then dragged to his feet and leant up against a countertop. He was looking right into the eyes from Friedrich Heckler. Kovu tried to lean forward and head but him in the face, but he was too intoxicated. He may be able to fight the effects of E115, but nothing was good in overdose. He had been injected with far too much in the last half hour.

"Kovu...You surprise me again. You were supposed to be dead, and yet you come out and enter my home, destroy my armies, master my drug, THREATEN MY VERY CAUSE!" Heckler thundered at Kovu, but he couldn't flinch.

"Now the only way to ensure that this weapon detonates, is to erase you completely..." Heckler whispered and drew his Luger pistol.

"I was supposed to be able to watch my work, but you ruined that for me. Now, we all die. You first." Heckler continued and slipped a fresh magazine into his pistol.

"With you out of the way now...nothing can stop the events that will unfold. You've proven yourself to me though, for once you got the jump on _me, _and made me suffer..." Heckler snarled and pressed the gun firmly against Kovu's temple.

"And he won't be the last..." A familiar, angry, female voice growled.

Heckler looked up, and all of a sudden, a knife flew across the room and struck Heckler's shoulder, making him drop his gun and wince in pain, as he tried to pull the knife out of him.

"ARGH!" Heckler cried out, and as soon as the knife was withdrawn from his body, he was locked in an intense fistfight with Shenzi.

Kovu's eyes opened wide in surprise as he saw the woman that he had though responsible for the whole mess, his former enemy, fight his nemesis. Kovu was shocked. _So maybe there is good in everyone...The enemy of my enemy is my friend. _Kovu started to again use the 'insanity' to push himself to his feet weakly, and search for some sort of weapon...

Meanwhile, Shenzi had Heckler in a headlock, and he struggled against her, moving the both of them around the room, smashing into things. Heckler screamed out, trying to put Shenzi off, but she stayed strong. She needed to avenge Banzai and Ed, she promised them. Heckler then used his weight to pull them both to the ground, and Shenzi grunted on impact.

Heckler however, thought first and rammed his head backwards into Shenzi's face, making her release him. He then quickly stuck a hand out and just managed to grab his Luger pistol off the floor...

They both then leapt to their feet and engaged again. Shenzi skillfully faked a blow to the left and threw Heckler off his guard, and then she slammed a powerful right hook into his jaw. She lunged forward at him, grabbing at his throat and starting to squeeze, and Heckler gasped for air initially, but soon, that familiar, evil smile swept across his face. Shenzi didn't have time to figure out what was going on before...

_BANG, BANG!_

Two 9mm bullets smashed into her stomach, and she released him, before collapsing onto the floor. Heckler wiped the blood of his mouth before speaking.

"Ah...Shenzi Marie! You live as well! You don't seem to understand; you were nothing more than a pawn, a vile instrument in my success. All the so-called morally wrong things you did, were all so I could achieve what I could today. Do you understand?" Heckler raised his gun again, aiming for head; the kill shot.

_WHACK!_

He was suddenly struck to the ground, by an angry Kovu with a metal tray.

"That's still supposing you defeat me." Kovu growled and struck him down again as he tried to get up.

He quickly checked how much time there was left on the nuke. Fifty-eight seconds. That was fifty-eight seconds for him to defeat Friedrich Heckler, and hit the kill switch to save his homeland. In the split-second loss of concentration, Heckler swung his legs out and knocked Kovu's legs out from under him. He then rolled on top of Kovu, trying to strangle him, or hold him down, so that he wouldn't have time to deactivate the nuke. Heckler only had to hold out for that long.

Kovu bit down on Heckler's fingers, making him cry out in pain again. Kovu then rammed his head forward and knocked him back.

He wasted no time in turning around and starting to crawl back towards the nuke; which read: _00:00:35. _Now there was only thirty-five seconds left before the Pridelands went up in flames. The beeping grew in frequency.

Kovu crawled towards it, but a hand grabbed his ankle and yanked him back. Heckler then knelt on top of him and started delivering punch after vicious punch. Kovu was pinned, and getting beaten.

_00:00:25_

_00:00:24_

_00:00:23_

_00:00:22_

Shenzi lay across the dirty tiled floor not five meters away from the nuke, and somehow managed to build the strength to lift her head up. She looked at Heckler, her friend, her mentor, her teacher, her betrayer, her enemy. He had used them again, and was no different, if not _worse _then Scar. At least Scar has morals. He had none. Shenzi started to realize her foolishness over the last few months. What had she expected to accomplish? Killing millions of people for the first time seemed like the worst thing a person could ever do to her.

She needed to stop Heckler. That would be how she redeemed herself in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of Banzai, and herself. That would be how she avenged HYENA, and all those she loved. She felt life starting to slip away from her...but she had one last thing to do before she bled out.

She stretched out a hand and dragged herself forward...

She moved slowly and painfully, inch-by-inch, closer towards the suitcase nuke and the deactivation button. She had lived a life full of wrong and needed to make her last action something that was right. _Come on..._

_00:00:11..._

_00:00:10..._

_00:00:09..._

_00:00:08..._

Kovu and Heckler still tussled, vying for the upper hand. It was up to Shenzi now. She pulled lifted herself up and just saw the glowing red deactivation button as her vision started to blur and she began to die...

_00:00:05..._

_00:00:04..._

_00:00:03..._

_00:00:02..._

_00:00:01..._

_WHACK!_

"_Device deactivated..."_

Shenzi smiled one last time before collapsing dead onto the floor...pulling a handful of wires with her.

"NO!" Heckler cried, and Kovu rammed him in the face with his elbow.

Shenzi had defied all odds, her old way, and done was was right in the end, to prove that evil was indeed, only what you made of it. And in the end, there was good in all. That was the true Rise of HYENA.

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**Exciting conclusion? Like how it ties in with the title? I hope you found it thrilling. Anyway, there is still more to come including an epilogue and that one last surprise I was talking about! Hope you enjoyed the climax.**

**This has been JJZ-109 and as always...Have a nice day.**


	52. Freedom

**So this is it, the battle gets wrapped up. I got an absolute load of reviews last chapter so thanks for that :). All the hard work pays off here, both Kovu's and mine, well mine doesn't end until the story is finished. Anyway, there should only be two more chapter left in the story, maybe three if I drag it out. Anyway, I am trying to make a good AN without sounding like a broken record and/or Taylor Swift, so you guys get me.**

**Scbenson: Two, maybe three at the max.**

**Chu10: Trust me, I want that just as much. But is probably the last place good filmmakers go to find stories to adapt.**

**D.R.O.P The Immortal Mage: If you want help with stories then don't hesitate to ask, I am here to write well and see to it that others can do the same. Thanks for all your feedback, but I think 'God' is a bit of a stretch, there are much better authors than me on the site.**

**Carrie: Not yet...**

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**CHAPTER 51. FREEDOM**

Heckler kicked away Kovu for a brief second and rushed up to his destroyed device, fearing the worst. The nuke was deactivated, thanks to Shenzi, and she had taken a handful of wires with her; and from the looks of it, all the important ones.

"No...no...no...no!" Heckler whined, and tried to fix the weapon, but it was too late.

The nuclear device had had its electronics ripped clean out by Shenzi, and there was no way he could fix it in time. His army was destroyed, Kovu was alive, and his quest to bring the Pridelands to it knees had failed; due to the will of a single man. That man, had acted so perfectly, so courageously, and so quickly, it even made Heckler wonder. Kovu's will was impossible to break, even with the help of E115. Heckler held back tears and screamed out in rage.

"AAAAAAAARRGGGHHHH!" Heckler screamed in pure fury and turned to the bruised Kovu on the floor.

"You...YOU DID THIS!" Heckler thundered and reached for his pistol, it was official now; he had been driven completely insane, without E115. He ran off pure hate.

He leveled the gun at Kovu's head, and screamed as he pulled the trigger. _Cla-Chik! _Heckler looked at his gun in disbelief. _NO! WHY? Why must you run out of ammo now? _All Heckler heard was the click of an empty chamber. Heckler threw the Luger away in frustration, and reached for a knife, but Kovu was already on his feet, and the effects of E115 were already starting to wear off.

"Time for round two..." Kovu growled, and curled his fingers into a fist. He knew it was over, and all he had to do now was to stay alive.

Suddenly, more voices broke out behind them.

"KOVU HIT THE DECK!" Vitani shouted, and Kovu dropped to the ground without question, as did Heckler.

_RATATATATATAT!_

Vitani opened fire with her spare UZI, and shot up the entire lab, trying to hit Heckler, but missing. The pains in her stomach mad her flinch as each round was fired, and she was wildly inaccurate. Test tubes and beakers were smashed, and old rotted wood was blown to tiny splinters by the bullets. Heckler quickly scurried away, not seeming to feel the pain of the knife wounds or smashed glass in his hands as he crawled along the floor. Kovu quickly crawled under the table and leapt up to stand next to Vitani, Sgt. McKay and Kiara. Vitani's magazine soon ran dry and she dropped weapon straight away, making it clatter to the floor. She held her stomach and winced in pain. Kovu was quick to assist her.

"What's wrong?" He asked his panting sister.

"I don't know." Vitani lied. She knew the truth, but tried her best to hide it. She even tried to hide it from herself, but deep down, she knew what was going on.

"Must've copped a knock from the dopes." Vitani said through clenched teeth and composed herself.

_You little fucker...pick your timing next time so mommy can kill some baddies. _Vitani thought. Kovu then looked back up at the lab, and saw that Heckler was gone. He had taken off. He instantly checked to see if the nuke was there, thinking Heckler must have taken it with him, but he hadn't. Heckler, his cause, and his army, were destroyed. The Pridelands were now safe.

"That's it...we did it. WE DID IT! HAHA!" Kovu blurted out and embraced his sister roughly, who again grunted in pain.

McKay cheered and slapped Kovu a high-five. Kovu then approached Kiara.

"And you...you're pregnant, you're all out of shape, and you still manage to save everyone! How I love you sweetheart..." Kovu said and planted a kiss on Kiara's lips, before kissing his hand and touching Kiara's belly.

"And you little fella, you're one special kid, you know?" Kovu said to Kiara's unborn child.

McKay then cleared his throat, and got everyone's attention.

"But I think you're forgetting who the real hero is here...You sir. You brought down Delta-Shadow's air support with a pistol, you escaped the grip of old Freddy even under the influence of E115, saved your misses, and deactivated the nuke! You deserve the most credit here." McKay told him, and Kovu felt himself go red. He couldn't take credit for saving the Pridelands.

"Actually, an old friend deactivated the bomb, not me." Kovu said and lead them over to the scene of the battle. Vitani gasped.

"Shenzi? How the fuck is she a friend?" Vitani almost snarled at him.

"In the end, we all had something in common. She was screwed over by Heckler, and so were we. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And that friend saved us all...I wouldn't have been able to disarm it in time. So there is good in all." Kovu told them and looked at Shenzi's corpse.

There was a long moment's silence, before Kovu finally spoke out.

"Anyway, we've all had a real rough few weeks. Let's go...home." Kovu said and smiled at Kiara. She returned the gesture and ran a hand down in his bloody face.

"Yes sir!" McKay said enthusiastically. He was sure going to enjoy seeing his wife and sons when he returned to his home in the country area of the Pridelands.

Kovu couldn't believe it, all the cold desperation he felt three days ago, finally felt like it had paid off. When all odds were against him, _he believed_, and found a way. Now, his wife and son were safe, his country was safe, and the intoxicated army of Heckler was wiped out. But there was still one more thing he felt he had to do...even if his country was already safe. He looked back over the creepy laboratory; hell on earth. He still could almost hear the souls of all who had perished in there cry out to him, begging for vengeance. He looked down the corridor he presumed Heckler had escaped down, and thought; _one day...one day I will find you, you son of a bitch. _He then turned to Shenzi's body and crouched down next to it.

_Thank you..._

"Kovu, let's go!" Vitani shouted, just as Kovu heard the roar of the GT-500 outside.

Kovu nodded and headed for the rotted door. Finally, it was over.

_Back at the Coastline_

Servaas limped forward, with his crowd following him silently. They carefully stepped through the flames, debris and craters. The Navy's bombardment of the Delta-Shadow survivors had finished, and now there was nothing left. Servaas, Tojo, Kopa and Lieutenants Tyler and Montez lead the quiet investigation of the aftermath.

For the first time, they Pridelanders had played this game on their terms. They used the home ground advantage, their will to win, and strong willed citizens to work Delta-Shadow around like pawns on a chess board, before they were finally caught in checkmate; trapped between the horde, the fighter jets' line of sight, the Army veterans, and Kopa's cavalry. There was finally no way out, and Kovu had finally beaten Heckler at his own game.

The environment was dead silent, as they stepped their way through the aftermath, and checked over the dead bodies and wreckage. The only sounds to be heard were the crackling of flames, footsteps through the rubble, and the waves lapping at the cliff below the coastal road. All of Delta-Shadow was dead, and there were no more coming.

Servaas looked at Kopa and bit his lip, he knew that all this effort, all this blood spilt and all the pain, could still count to nothing Kovu hadn't succeeded. The two of them watched as all the Pridelanders, civilian and soldier alike, checked through the debris, collapsed down onto the ground and embraced one another. They had done it, and all hugged and gave each other the '_its all over'_ look. Soldiers and bikers slapped each other on the back and for the first time in hours, sat down with each other and spoke quietly.

Kopa's radio then buzzed, and Servaas closed his eyes in anticipation. Kopa held the device up to his ear. Servaas heard the voice crackle through, and Kopa responded to it.

"Palladino here...Yes, objective has been achieved, waiting for confirmation of yours...yeah...wait, _who _showed up? Christ...So you've got it under control? Okay...Kopa out." Kopa sighed and pocketed the radio.

Servaas looked up at him anxiously.

"So what's the deal?"

"Well...the nuke has been disabled...and Kiara is back in friendly hands. Heckler is AWOL though. Looks like Day Zero is going to give us a good night sleep after all." Kopa reported and smiled at Servaas, his new friend.

Throughout the terrible conflict, Kopa had lost many friends. But he didn't consider how many he had gained, until then. He and Servaas embraced, while laughing and shedding tears of joy. It was finally over, they had done it. They had saved the Pridelands, and brought an end to the cause of Friedrich Heckler. Servaas then saluted to Kopa as best as he could and stood up on top of a destroyed Delta-Shadow APC.

"PEOPLE, LISTEN UP!" All of a sudden, the chatter died down.

"STEP SIX IS COMPLETE! Tonight...we sleep...IN PEACE!" Servaas announced and the crowd burst into cheers and celebrations again.

Some soldiers and civilians fired bursts of machine gunfire into the air, while others hugged and celebrated with people they didn't even know. Some people even celebrated like it was a goal in a game of soccer, and stripped off their shirts and waved them above their heads like maniacs. Most were just relieved, and glad it was all over. These people shook hands with one another and then sat down by themselves, reflecting on the horror of late.

"BUT! There is still one more thing left to do! STEP SEVEN!"

"FREEDOM!" The crowd cried out and burst into cheers again.

"Then let's get moving! Next stop...PALACE!" Servaas cried out.

_Later_

The civilian crowd, the army veterans and the bikers all stood in the front memorial park of the palace, watching the famous balcony on the 37th floor, where the HYENA flag still flew from before. Kopa, Servaas and Tojo stood out in front of the crowd, looking up at the balcony. Kopa then finally cleared his throat and turned to Servaas.

"Here...your courage and service today have earned you this. Raise it." Kopa said and handed Servaas the Prideland National flag. Servaas was stunned.

"No...I cannot do that. You must, it is your right...Son of Simba." Servaas insisted and Kopa looked up at him in surprise. _How did you..._

Kopa nodded and took the flag back, before entering the deserted palace. Servaas rejoined the crowd and waited down in the memorial park patiently. Eventually, he heard the cry.

"LOOK! He's up on the balcony!" Tojo cried out and everyone gasped, as they turned their attention to the balcony.

Kopa gulped, with so many eyes on him. He then felt sunlight penetrate through the grey clouds, and warm his body. He looked up at sky, and saw the rays of sunshine shine through an opening in the cloud cover. His father was watching.

Kopa then drew his knife, and slashed the ropes on the HYENA banner dangling from the balcony. He then dropped the knife, and held up the Prideland flag, for all to see. The blue, green and white flew in the wind and Kopa cried out;

"HOO-AH!"

Servaas smiled, and joined in the response.

"HOO-AH!" Servaas, the crowd, the army and the biker cavalry all cried out in unison. The noise was one that could be heard even from the heavens above, it was the noise of victory.

"_FREEDOM!" _Kopa screamed out, before the crowd burst into celebrations again.

"_Top Story for tonight; in a stunning display, Prideland City has been miraculously saved from a certain destruction when a nuclear bomb was confirmed to be armed set for detonation on that very day."_

"_The city was held by an elite group of renegade troops that called themselves 'Delta-Shadow' and 'HYENA'. Yesterday, in powerful display of tactical brilliance, the legal heir to the Pridelands' throne Kovu Blackburn organized a counter-attack, that ultimately destroyed the enemy troops, and put an end to the nuclear crisis. Even after the country's inspirational leader 'King Simba Taylor' was assassinated by related terrorist forces."_

"_The supposed terrorist leaders 'Shenzi Goldberg', 'Banzai Marin' and Edward Cummings have all been confirmed dead, but there is rumors that there is another man who masterminded the whole takeover, these rumors however are unconfirmed. Locals dub the man 'Friedrich Heckler', but his existence is questionable."_

"_Commercial flights to the Pridelands have been resumed, and life in Prideland City is slowly returning to normal. Kovu is set to be crowned in a few days, in front of a live audience. Celebrations from the victory will also take place later that day. Whatever can be said about the whole mysterious ordeal, one thing is for certain. It doesn't take armies, firepower and time to liberate a city; just the will of a nation, and belief."_

"_This has been James Shaw, have a good evening. Brought to you by CNN."_

The television set then turned off.

_At the PI1 HQ, 2:00 AM. Several weeks since the second battle of Prideland City._

Kovu dialed a number in his mobile phone and waited. The command room of the PI1 headquarters was deserted, and silent. Above him there was a glowing sign that read _DEFCON: 5_, further boasting to Kovu the peace he had brought. But that was just part of what he had hoped to achieve in the conflict, there was still one more thing he wanted to sort out. A voice then broke out on the phone.

"_Guten Tag..."_

"Ah, Doc. You're there. I thought I'd ring you up and tell you before I come to visit...you know, so you can prepare some scotch and pretzels for us." Kovu said in a happy manner, but the malice in his voice was clear.

"_Kovu...Didn't you hear? The war is over, you won." _Heckler replied tiredly.

"No Gonzo...my war ends with you." Kovu threatened him, and he would stay true to his word. He _would _kill Friedrich Heckler.

"_Before you blindly waltz across the world looking for me, I must warn you. If you seek revenge...then you better dig two graves." _Heckler snarled.

"I'll bear that in mind. Now I suggest you sleep with one eye open, because this time...there is no escape." Kovu growled at Heckler.

_Beep...beep...beep. _Heckler hung up.

Kovu lowered his mobile phone and turned to Kopa, who was the only person in the PI1 lab with him. He typed furiously behind a computer, and brought up a map of the world. A section in Europe was highlighted.

"You trace his line?" Kovu asked. That whole call was monitored, and Kopa had used his Intelligence resources to track Heckler's location. That would be where Kovu and Kopa head, alone. They were the men hurt most by the actions of Friedrich Heckler, and now he was going to pay for all that he had done, even now that the Pridelands were safe, and Kiara's baby was due any day now. Revenge had been the only thing on Kovu's mind.

"Yep...I suggest you pack some beanies and mittens." Kopa replied.

"Why is that?" Kovu asked.

"Because, we are going to Switzerland. Looks like we're going alpine."

"Right. Switzerland it is, then." Kovu nodded and drew Simba's Desert Eagle .50, the sword of the kings.

* * *

**How was it? Good _official _ending? Stay tuned for REVENGE. ****But we might want to follow Heckler's advice here...**

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


	53. Welcome To The Hotel Lake Geneva

**So this is part one of the finale, and part two will be the most exciting, or second most exciting chapter of the story. There's still one more card up my sleeve, and this story will be complete in two days, I promise. Part Two of the finale and the epilogue are all that remains! Completing this story will feel like being released from prison, even though I enjoyed writing it. Five months in the making people!**

**Vitani825: Not yet, just two more to go! One last surprise... and you shouldn't feel like that. Superiority...is only what you make of it - Friedrich Heckler**

**Sweetnessxoxo: Thanks! But... this will never make its way to the theaters. Would be a good 3D experience for the action scenes :)**

**D.R.O.P The Immortal Mage: Glad to hear you think of me that way. Anyway, Heckler is no Reznov. He's more of a Steiner mixed with Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3.**

**Scbenson2001: "They call me a murderer...yes. They also call me things like 'monster', 'insane' or 'evil'. I am only what you make of me." - Friedrich Heckler. (In all seriousness, no, I am a normal guy. But if your dad doesn't want you reading this, then you'd best listen to him.)**

**Haradion: What you need shoes for mate? I thought the people in The Lord Of The Rings walked barefoot?**

**Carrie: Yes, you were right. Next time I might recommend contraceptive products to Kopa and Vitani.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**CHAPTER 52. WELCOME TO HOTEL LAKE GENEVA**

_Lake Geneva Grand Hotel, Switzerland. Three weeks after the liberation of the Pridelands. Objective: Terminate Friedrich Heckler at all costs._

Kovu slipped on a Kevlar vest, and tightened the straps firmly around him. Next came the huge body armor plates, and then the metal kneepads and elbow-pads, before finally, the huge bulletproof` helmet. Before he slipped it on, he looked at his reflection in the window; menacing.

He had completely shaved the majority of his head, but left a short Mohawk that stuck up. His scar now stood out a lot more, and he looked like an insane, hell-bent-on-revenge warrior. He didn't see the wise and inspiration leader that had led the Pridelands to victory weeks before; he saw a monster. And he was perfectly fine with that, supposing it killed Friedrich Heckler. That was all he had travelled this far for. This man had killed Simba, EJ, Agent Dion and thousands more, and he was seconds away from destroying the Pridelands all together. No man like that deserved to live. Kovu had promised to do what his evil 'father'; Scar, had failed to do years before; kill Heckler.

_CLA-CHAK! _Kopa sat with Kovu in the back of the van, arming up. He too was wearing a full flak jacket and more heavy, bulletproof bomb squad like armor. Kopa was the man that had suffered most because of Heckler, he had to watch his massacres, his only parent left get killed by him, and his best friend and partner for many years was executed by him personally. No one had as much fire in their eyes as Conner 'Kopa' Palladino, but he remarkably seemed to keep a lid on it. In preparation for the attack, he had a long series of tattoos put on his arm, rather than getting a new, vicious haircut like Kovu had.

Kopa loaded the ammunition belt into his M60 and pulled the charging handle back. He then raised the immense weapon, testing out its sights. Kovu finished preparing his equally large PKM machine gun and slung it behind his back. Kopa looked at Kovu and he nodded; it was time to get this done. They both put on their massive, protective helmets and picked up heavy riot shields made from curved bulletproof glass at least an inch thick. Heckler challenged them to 'waltz in' and that was exactly what they would do. They were going to go in all guns blazing.

"Servaas, take us in." Kovu said over his shoulder, and their driver heard him.

Servaas had quickly joined the Prideland Military following the defeat of Delta-Shadow, and was now one of Kopa's most trusted operatives. The lifestyle suited him perfectly.

"Got it." Servaas responded and slowly guided the van up the expensive hotel's luxurious driveway.

Porters in red uniforms quickly made their way over to the van, a bit unused to having such a crude vehicle show up at their classy hotel.

Inside the car, Kovu sighed and said a quick prayer in his head. This was it, he would kill Heckler or die. This was a one-way trip. As soon as those doors opened, it would descend into chaos for everyone; including the poor civilians. They had better get out the way quickly, or they would get caught in the crossfire. Kovu heard the porters click the back door of the van open. _This is it...Heckler, I'm here for you. THIS is where my war ends. _

"Once we're out Servaas, you get the hell out of here. This is a one way trip." Kovu told Servaas and he saw him nod. _One way trip...A suicide mission? No, I've still got a family and a son to raise. _

"Christ, I've been waiting a long time to do this." Kopa commented, as the door started to slide open.

"We all have. Now let's make sink that bastard to the depths of hell." Kovu agreed and quickly holstered Simba's Desert Eagle, just in case.

The uniformed porters slid the door completely open and revealed the two armed juggernaut-like warriors in the back.

"Oh my goodness..." The porter gasped before Kovu rammed the butt of his pistol down on his skull, knocking him out.

They then stepped out the vehicle, and started proceeding up the stairs to the hotel. Servaas sped away quickly, screeching his tires as he did so. This drew attention from all the bystanders, and when they saw Kopa and Kovu, they screamed and fled the scene. The quest to kill Friedrich Heckler had begun.

The two of the smashed their way through the revolving doors, and security guards rushed up to subdue the offenders, but when they saw the hulking figures of Kovu and Kopa, they practically dropped their guns and ran. Kopa and Kovu were heavily armored and protected, but their speed and agility was sorely limited as a result. The hotel lobby quickly was quickly evacuated, and Kovu nodded his head in approval. _Not bad...maybe we won't have any unnecessary casualties. _they started clunking their way over to the reception desk, which the staff hid under fearfully.

The only sounds to be heard were the chatters of the staff's teeth and their whimpers from under the desk. Kovu shook his head and pressed on the little bell, breaking the awkward silence. _Ding! _The receptionists stayed under the desks, frightened out of their wits. Kovu rolled his eyes and drew the Desert Eagle.

_BANG! _He shot the bell on the desk.

"SOMEONE GET UP HERE AND TELL ME WHERE FRIEDRICH HECKLER IS BEFORE I SHOOT UP THIS WHOLE JOINT!" Kovu screamed, and it felt strange to be the 'bad' guy in everyone's eyes for once.

A timid man slowly stood up and shivered as he looked at the two armored attackers. In actual reality, it wasn't Kovu and Kopa he was scared of. It was the fight he knew was about to occur. Heckler had come here with a small band of intoxicated troops, the remaining sleeper agents from Delta-Shadow, and they practically ran the whole hotel, and threatened to kill if they broke their confidentiality. Whatever led to that monster's demise, the man would agree to do. But he knew that there would be damage. Eventually, he stopped shuddering and spoke.

"Up at the t-top floor, in the p-penthouse...Be careful he has many weapons!" The receptionist stuttered in his strong Swiss accent.

"Cheers, now get back down." Kovu thanked him and pressed the man down behind the desk by his shoulder.

All of a sudden, Kopa's voice broke out.

"LOOK OUT! DOPES!" Kopa cried and quickly leveled his bulletproof shield in front of his body.

A group of twenty or so 'E115 Dopes' working for Heckler took position in the lobby, and raised their submachine guns or pistols. Kovu sprung into action and held up the riot shield firmly. _CLUNK, CLUNK, CLUNK! _Bullets smashed into the shield, and sent vibrations up Kovu's spine. Slowly, he advanced forward, deflecting all the enemy fire. Soon, the firing stopped as the dopes had to reload in unison. _My turn... _Kovu thought and pulled the huge PKM from his back.

_RATATATATATATATATATANG!_

He sprayed a stream of fire across the lobby, catching most of the dopes and sending papers and splinters of varnished wood from the reception desks flying everywhere. Blood splashed up against the wall as each soldier was hit, and left sickening stains on the white marble wall. Bodies of Heckler's bodyguards, blood and debris lay everywhere. The barrel of Kovu's PKM smoked, and he quickly blew it off. They then rushed up to the elevators as fast as they could in their heavy suits, and pressed the button. Nothing.

"God damn it, he shut off the elevators. SHIT!" Kopa snarled and clenched his teeth together in rage.

"Lose your armor, we're taking the stairs." Kovu ordered him and started stripping off the heavy body armor, one piece at a time.

"What? That's suicide, if we get caught in the wrong place we could be..." Kopa argued, but Kovu cut him off.

"We'll never make it in time with it on, and Heckler does _not _leave this hotel alive! Do you understand me?" Kovu snarled at him.

"Fine." Kopa gave in and started pulling the armor off.

He eventually was dressed almost normally with the exception of his light flak-jacket, which he was in the process of taking off.

"No! Leave the flak-jacket on." Kovu told him.

"Nah, if we go light we go _completely _light." Kopa insisted and slung an ammunition belt over where his vest used to be.

"You might regret that later..." Kovu whispered under his breath. He had kept his light flak-jacket- on, and his arms were completely exposed.

He quickly yanked his helmet off before starting up the stairs with Kopa. _Why do I get the bad feeling he will need that Flak-jacket? _Kovu then refocused on what was important; killing Heckler before he escaped. As he sprinted up the stairs, for the first time since he had been drugged in Heckler's lab, he started to have doubts about what he was doing. Was it right endangering himself just to kill one man, who was already beaten? What if he was killed, and Kiara had to raise the child by herself? Would she be able to cope with the grief of losing a father and husband? Kovu shook off the thoughts. The simple solution to that problem was just don't get killed.

As they tirelessly ran up the unending flights of stairs, Kovu felt his mobile phone ring in his pocket. He quickly fished it out and held up to his ear as they went. Kopa turned back and watched his partner speak on the phone through tired pants. He noticed Kovu's eyes open wide in surprise.

"What's going on?" Kopa asked.

"It's Kiara...she's gone into labor." Kovu reported and kept running.

Kopa felt glad he wasn't in Kovu's position, having to worry about fighting and killing a man, and worrying about his son being born on the other side of the continent at the same time.

After minutes of non-stop uphill running, they finally reached the last door in the emergency stairwell. It had the great green EXIT sign above it, and Kovu could hear voices coming from the other side of the door. He nodded at Kopa and he returned the gesture. _Here I am Heckler, funny how you're not so fearless anymore. _Kovu thought and took his position on one side of the door.

_WHACK!_

_BANG, BANG, BANG!_

The world seemed to move in slow motion for Kovu as he kicked down the door and fired solitary shots from the Desert Eagle, that all found their target. Three of Heckler's bodyguards held penthouse partiers hostage, and were each hit by Kovu's bullets, which he seemed to fire on reflex. Kovu looked at the petrified civilians and normally would have helped them, but there was only one thing on his mind; finding and killing Friedrich Heckler. He approached one hostage and stripped the tape off her mouth.

"Have you any idea were Friedrich Heckler is? You know, sort of an elderly chap with glasses and a lab coat? Four fingers? Smiles like a motherfucker?" Kovu questioned the almost crying woman. She was scared not just by the situation, but by the strange scarred and mohawked warrior in front of her.

"Yes...He was in suite 9, before you guys showed up and he let his friends loose. Please sir...get me out of here!" She begged but Kovu only smiled.

"Did he ever tell you the definition of insanity? Probably not, the cops will find you guys in less than an hour or so. Nice meeting you." Kovu said casually and winked.

Kovu's fake smile faded and he walked back over to Kopa.

"He's in one of the suites." Kovu told Kopa and they started to exit the club.

They then heard footsteps and shouts coming from the 5-star restaurant in the next room. Kovu and Kopa exchanged glances before diving behind cover. Five or so bodyguards stormed into the room, with MP5 submachine guns bared. Kopa slowly crept behind the bar and made his way behind the group. He held his M60 at the hip, and cleared his throat, making the bodyguards turn around.

"DOPES SUCK LEAD!" Kopa thundered and opened up the M60.

He cut down the group in seconds, holding the weapon at his hip and feeding the ammo belt in with his free hand. More shouts broke out behind them; they had just attracted the attention of Heckler's entire protection force. _God damn it! _Kovu thought, it would only be minutes before Heckler got away, and this was a delay they didn't need.

Kovu aggressively gestured for Kopa to hit the ground, and leant up the bipod of his PKM against a table. He fired a stream of suppressive fire, and Kopa advanced right down the middle of the restaurant, firing bursts from the M60 at anything that moved. Kopa felt the heat of the muzzle flash on his face as he cleared the entire room, one dope at a fucking time. He ran off pure adrenaline and rage from all that these men, these..._things_, had done.

The room was trashed, Kopa was tired, but all of Heckler's bodyguards were dead. He stood in the middle of the destroyed restaurant, sweating and panting. Kovu moved up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, get to the suites!" He kept on moving and Kopa nodded, exhausted.

They knocked down door after door, not finding any evidence of Friedrich Heckler, other than the petrified people stuck in each room. When they reached room 9 however, Kovu felt his stomach drop. It had that familiar, eerie feel to it that Heckler normally brought with him. It was like his scent. They knocked down the door and stepped inside with weapons bared.

This was Heckler's room alright, he had set up his E115 production on the countertop, and there were things that Kovu recognized from the lab in there. This time, the one thing they _did _want, was Heckler himself. Kovu quickly checked the entire suite, but Heckler was nowhere to be found.

"SHIT!" Kovu screamed out in rage and kicked over Heckler's kitchen stool.

"He got away...the son of a bitch got away." Kopa exclaimed to himself and his jaw trembled in anger.

He collapsed down onto the sofa in frustration and put his head in his hands. Kovu just kept pacing in disbelief. He managed to put a lid on his anger and search for clues. He groaned in anger and started looking through Heckler's papers; mostly false passports, and identification papers. Kovu tipped out his whole file, and eventually came across blueprints. It didn't take Kovu long to realize that these were the blueprints to the hotel. In red pen, a routed was highlighted. It went back through the penthouse, and stopped in the emergency exit, right where they had come from. _An escape route? _Kovu then traced the route backwards to the Suite, which was crossed out in bright red. It was captioned; _blast zone. _

Kovu dropped the blueprints in horror and looked at Kopa sitting on the couch, still grumbling to himself.

"Palladino...shut up for a second." Kovu hissed and Kopa silenced, listening out.

He eventually heard a slow _tack-tack-tack-tack _sound, coming from somewhere in the room.

Underneath the door-rug, several slabs of C4 were armed and ready, slowly counting down.

_00:05_

_00:04_

_00:03_

_00:02_

_00:01_

_BEEEEP!_

Kovu dived to the ground and put his hands on his head for protection.

"GET DOWN!" Kovu shouted out, and Kopa tried to comply, but it was too late.

_BOOM!_

* * *

**Epic Cliffhanger! That was not my last card, I assure you. Anyway, Don't forget to leave us a review!**

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...have a nice day.**


	54. Hakuna Matata Motherfucker

**This is is ladies and gentlemen THE GRAND FINALE! This has been a long time coming, and finally, this story comes to a close. (But there will be an epilogue) This is also set to be the most well known chapter of the story, as all the questions are answered, and the plot is finally (if it wasn't already) resolved. I think I got 11 reviews for last chapter, which is a new high for me. Thanks for that! That is also why I can't be bothered responding to all of them. Hopefully, I repay the feedback with a quality chapter.**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**CHAPTER 53. HAKUNA MATATA MOTHERFUCKER**

Kovu was thrown forward as a giant fireball engulfed the room. Kopa screamed out, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the blast. Kovu felt a flying sensation, before he thudded to the floor painfully. He slowly tried to push himself to his feet, but red hot debris crashed on top of him, knocking him flat to the floor, and soon a long floorboard hit him on the back of the head. Everything went black...

Heckler had done it again. He had foreseen the attempt on his life and even with nothing left to fight for, and no purpose in life anymore, he managed to hurt them again. He was the twisted, evil version of Kovu, in that he would never go down without one last struggle. For the first time, Kovu started to realize it. They were exactly the same. Both had rough upbringings, tests to their loyalty throughout their time, they both possessed the remarkable skill of resisting E115, and they both had been driven to the brink of insanity by the conflict. What was the difference between them? For the first time, Kovu saw, that evil was only what you made of it.

"_Some people call me a murderer, and some call me other things like monster, insane, or...evil. But I tell you this, Kovu. Evil, is only what you make of it."_

Kovu was knocked out but the voice of Heckler rang in his ears. _No, no, no...NO! Get out of my head you twisted, son of a bitch! _Kovu resisted the mental torture.

"_LET ME INTO YOUR HEART! Accept me as your savior! WE ARE PART OF EACH OTHER!" _The voice of Heckler screamed out in his distinctive German accent.

Kovu again found himself fighting his own mind. This time, it wasn't insanity that would save him like it did with E115. This was no chemical induced hallucination; Heckler was cemented into his mind. Kovu started to feel himself letting go...and stopping his mental resistance. _No! _Kovu thought, and the vision started. He was instantly transported into a dark room filled with TV screens, all playing either static or showing the faces of Kovu's loved ones...even those that had passed.

Heckler paced in the dimly lit room, with his eyes locked on Kovu.

"_Kovu...Have I ever told you the definition...of evil?"_ Heckler's voice echoed.

Kovu felt his head throb, and he collapsed to his knees. The cackling laugh of Heckler broke out, and the vision faded to white. Kovu heard another echoing voice, but this one wasn't so sinister. _Kovu...Do not fight me. You only are what you believe you are. Believe...and succeed. Believe..._

Simba's voice faded out, and Kovu was now left with three sides to choose from. The side of him that would give up, the side of him that resembled Heckler, and wanted him dead, and the side that wanted good. _Who says I need to pick just ONE path? _Kovu thought and started mixing two together.

He tried harder and harder to believe and slowly, the pain started to fade. He managed to slowly open his eyes, and get up to his feet to face the image of Friedrich Heckler. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Yes. It is what we make of it. Now...This what I make of it!" Kovu snarled and plunged a knife into Heckler's neck.

He understood now, they were both right; Simba and Heckler. Kovu chose to _believe_, to make his definition of evil the one that saw him go home satisfied, and the one that kept Heckler as the monster, _his _definition of evil. It would only help Kovu kill him.

Blood didn't pour out of Heckler's neck, it was light. Bright, golden light that blinded Kovu.

Kovu's vision slowly returned to him, and when it focused he awoke back in the destroyed suite. Planks of red hot wood were piled on top him, and he felt a burning pain his arm. _Ugh..._After the whole mental dilemma, he had almost forgotten where he was.

"ARGH!" Kovu groaned in pain as he painfully pushed the hot debris off him with his one good arm. He knew not having armor on his arms would cost him. The flak jacket might have just saved his life.

Smoke filled Kovu's nostrils and clouded his vision. He was exhausted, and wounded, but he wouldn't be over with until he killed Heckler. He limped through the wreckage and flames, searching for his partner.

"KOPA!" He cried out, to no avail.

"KOPA! PALLADINO! WHERE ARE YOU?" He shouted again, but again only heard the crackle of flames.

He listened carefully, and soon started hearing moans of pain from somewhere in the room. He started moving towards the kitchen, and heard the cries of pain increase in volume. It was then he heard the intensity of the cries, and they sounded bad, very, very, bad.

He leapt over a pile of burning floorboards, and landed right in front of Kopa, who had been concealed by the flames. He was leant up against a decimated wooden wall, and the right half of his face was completely burnt. Kovu leant down to help him to his feet, but paused when he saw the _true _source of the pain. A sharp, wooden plank stuck out of his chest; soaked in blood. He had been completely impaled; a certain death.

Kovu felt tears sting his eyes and he knelt down beside the dying Kopa. Kopa gasped for air and blood poured from his mouth as he did so, he had his eyes squeezed shut as well, so that he couldn't see what had been done to him. He was bleeding out, and fast. There was nothing Kovu could do for him. Heckler had done it again.

Heckler's words echoed in Kovu's mind.

_You know what they say about revenge...you better dig two graves._

Kovu felt the tears slide down his face as he knelt beside Simba's only son, and the man that had raised the flag to signify the end of Heckler's terror. It was the man that had defied all odds alongside Kovu, the one who was responsible for the whole resistance operation when he busted Kovu and the others out of the palace. That man was one of the few people Kovu could call a friend. Unfortunately, it was also the man who left his flak jacket behind; and that probably was the difference between life and death.

"Conner...no, man, no..." Kovu whimpered and looked away from Kopa's mangled body.

"Get out of here Kovu...GO!" Kopa insisted through clenched teeth.

"No! I'm getting you out of here! Everything's going to be all right you hear me?" Kovu argued and tried to remove the plank of wood, but Kopa yelped in pain when he touched it.

"NO! That b-bomb was on a short-range detonation device, H-heckler must've w-watched us go in and s-started the timer remotely...HE'S STILL HERE! FIND HIM!" Kopa panted.

"I can't leave you behind!" Kovu shook his head.

"LEAVE ME HERE! Don't let Heckler get away...KILL HIM! I'll be fine." Kopa cried, and rested his head back against the shattered wall again in exhaustion.

Kovu didn't say another word, and stood up tearfully as Kopa closed his eyes and breathed heavily. _You know what they say about revenge...You better dig two graves. _Kovu was going to make certain that the second grave didn't belong to him; it would belong to Heckler. That was the only thing he valued now.

Kovu stormed out of the burning suite and back into the penthouse, fuming. That was it. If all the other things Heckler had done to him and his family somehow weren't the last straw,that was. No more prisoners now, and no more relating Heckler to himself. Kovu _would _kill him if it was the last thing he did on this doomed quest for vengeance.

_Hunt_

_Kill_

_Avenge_

_Free_

_Fuck_

_Eat_

_Stop_

_Steal_

_KILL HECKLER!_

The commands chanted again. Kovu was so angered he felt his pulse pound in his head, and the pain from his wounded arm seemed to be flushed out. He remembered what Kopa had said, the detonator to that bomb must have been on short range, otherwise the timer wouldn't have been able to activate. Heckler was still possibly in the building.

Kovu closed his eyes, and let the voices of many, the _insanity _guide him. The voices of great kings whispered in his ear, and highlighted the emergency exit door in his vision. It pulsated red, and Kovu was drawn to it. He knew where to go , the voices stopped. He took control again.

Powered by pure rage, he kicked down the door to the emergency exit and stormed past the flight of stairs he had come up in. Kovu furiously grabbed onto a rung on the ladder leading up to the hatch and clawed his way up to the roof of the huge hotel. This was it. He clambered over the edge and onto the roof, to hear the beating of helicopter rotors. _No!_

"I'M COMING FOR YOU HECKLER!"

Kovu turned his head, and for the first time since the battle to save the Pridelands, he saw his nemesis; Friedrich Heckler. Heckler turned back at the last second as he was boarding the escape chopper, and saw Kovu. His expression was one of surprise, and for the first time, Kovu saw what appeared to be _fear _on his face.

"AAAAARRRGGHHH!" Kovu bellowed in rage as he charged the helicopter, but he was too far away.

The helicopter lifted off while Kovu hopelessly pursued on foot. _NO! FUCK! _Kovu thought, and slowed down. He had been beaten, again. Heckler's chopper started to lift up higher and turn away from the hotel...

_Kovu..._

The voice of Simba rang out in Kovu's head, and he stopped; everything.

_I am here to help you if you let me..._

Kovu let go, and surrendered control over his mind and body. His hand slipped down his leg, and drew Simba's Desert Eagle pistol. Kovu felt his thumb pull the hammer back, and slowly, his arm rose to fire...

_BANG!_

The huge .50 caliber round smashed into the tail rotor hydraulics of Heckler's escape chopper, sending it spinning out of control.

_Thanks Simba..._

The chopper swung around violently, and spiraled into the roof of the hotel, before erupting into a ball of fire. _BOOM!_ Debris was thrown everywhere, and a random metal piece of the fuselage smacked into Kovu's face, knocking him out cold.

_KILL HECKLER!_

The words repeated themselves in Kovu's mind, and intensified in volume as he awoke. Once his eyes opened, they stopped. His vision was blurred, and all he could recognize around him was flames. Suddenly, an injured silhouette emerged from the wreckage, holding a wound on their side. The man stood upright, but could barely move properly. It was when he stretched his fingers out Kovu recognized him. It was Heckler, and he was injured just as badly as Kovu was due to the crash. He limped forward incredibly slowly, heading towards something in front of Kovu.

Kovu finally focused his vision and lowered it, to see the Desert Eagle lying on the ground between him and Heckler. Whoever got to it first, would live. Kovu extended out his good arm, and pulled himself forward. He repeated the same process several times; inching closer to the handgun that would determine his fate. It was the same weapon that determined Mufasa's, Scar's and Zira's fate. Would he be next?

Kovu mustered up all the strength left in him to quicken his pace of 'crawling', while Heckler slowly limped closer as well. Kovu soon felt his fingers wrap around the sweet, cold metal of the handgun. _Yes! _The sense of achievement was short-lived.

Heckler's foot crunched down onto Kovu's hand, and an elbow rammed into his skull, knocking him back. He was barely conscious, and tried his best to stay awake. Meanwhile, Heckler picked up the weapon and leveled it at Kovu's head.

This was it, no more monologues before the pull of the trigger, and no more chances. That second grave belonged to Kovu. It was a mistake to have even pointlessly charged after Heckler now that the Pridelands were already safe. Now, his baby would grow up without a father.

"_Auf Wiedersehen, _my King." Heckler snarled.

Kovu felt the barrel press up against his forehead and he closed his eyes...

"Not quite yet...YOU KRAUT SON OF A BITCH!" An enraged, familiar voice shouted.

Heckler was suddenly knocked over, and Kovu opened his eyes. Against all odds, all laws of science, and all that possible...Kopa stood there; with the sharp plank of wood still stuck in chest. He held another piece of wood in his hands, and swung at Heckler again. Kovu recognized the gleam in his eyes, and the calm expression on his face. Simba was with him.

Heckler ducked the blow and swiftly kicked makeshift weapon out of his hands, before grabbing onto the wooden bar jutting out from his new opponent's chest. Kopa winced in pain, as Heckler slowly pushed the front of the impaling piece of wood down, so that the other end of it would go up inside his body. A sickening gurgle of flesh was heard and Heckler gritted his teeth as he forced the back of the plank up further into Kopa's body...Whatever supernatural power that was possessing Kopa, it faded away after that action, and he slumped onto the ground.

"Die Palladino...ja...I just freed your fucking soul." Heckler hissed like a _snake _at the dying Kopa.

Heckler wiped the blood from his face and turned back around, to finish what he was about to do before Kopa interfered. He turned around, and found himself face to face with Kovu, who was now on his feet, holding the pistol that he had dropped.

Kovu raised the gun up with his one good arm, but Heckler grabbed it with both hands and held it off target with all his might. Kovu tried to force it back in front of him, but Heckler with both arms was too strong. He made sure Kovu kept the gun pointed in an awkward direction above his head to the right, and away from him. Their arms shuddered under the force being applied either way, and were about to give way.

"YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE COME HERE KOVU! AFTER YOU'VE WON AND ACHIEVED EVERYTHING IMPORTANT TO YOU!" Heckler yelled out.

Kovu struggled, and gritted his teeth as he pushed. The noise of the two fighting men then started to fade... and a voice spoke to him.

"_Pain is of a sign weakness leaving the body...Let it leave you."_

Kovu understood. He shut his eyes tight, and let the pain of his wounded arm flow out of him, and soon...it was numb. His exhausted, struggling expression turned into a stern, determined frown.

"A few weeks ago, you told me that evil is only what you made of it...THIS IS WHAT I MAKE OF IT!" Kovu told him calmly, with the exception of the last part of his sentence.

Heckler's eyes opened in horror as Kovu slowly released his grip on the Desert Eagle, and it slid out of his hand...and landed in the one that was supposedly injured, and _not restrained. Now it ends..._Kovu pressed the weapon against his torso, before uttering the words...

"Hakuna Matata Motherfucker."

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

Kovu fired all six of the remaining rounds in the Desert Eagle's magazine into Heckler's chest and stomach. He held Heckler up, and watched his eyes dilate, and his head slump forward. Then, he let go, and both he and Heckler tumbled to the floor. He lay next to Heckler's dead body, and couldn't help but feel, that a part of him had been killed with Heckler. He lay there, unsure of what to do, over the last few weeks, all the planning, all the fighting, all the pain, struggles and confusion had plagued him. Now that it was gone, he didn't know what to do. Heckler had been part of who he was, and now, he was dead.

Kovu closed his eyes and sighed; finally, it was over. He tried to relax up there on the hotel rooftop, but was interrupted by heavy, pained breaths. _Kopa!_

Kovu had forgotten about him. He quickly crawled over to Kopa's body, which was barely alive. The wound on his chest poured blood, as did his mouth. Kovu was too afraid to touch his friend, his _savior. _

"Kopa...no..." Kovu whimpered and wiped the blood of his face.

"Is H-heckler d-dead?" The dying warrior stuttered.

"Yes. This is it...we can go home now." Kovu tried holding back tears and sniffled.

He grabbed Kopa's hand with both of his and held it tightly in front of him.

"You g-go...I've d-done all I needed to. L-lead the Pridelands...raise your family, like my father would w-want you to." Kopa told him, and rested his head back against the concrete.

"Don't die on me...please! YOU have a family now too; my sister loves you. You're like my brother! Don't you dare give up!" Kovu ordered Kopa, who managed a smile.

"If I have finally found a family, and p-people who love me, and H-heckler is dead, then that is all I was put on earth to accomplish. Tell Vitani that I..." Kopa didn't finish and coughed up some more blood

"Love her?"

"Yeah, that. And that I will always be with her...always." Kopa groaned.

"And tell your kid about Uncle Kopa for me." He added.

Kovu nodded, and tears streamed down his face.

"And you say hi to Simba for me." Kovu smiled at him through sobs.

"Will do champ."

Kopa's breath rate started to decrease, and his eyes opened and closed at a slow rate.

"Do you think it was all worth it? Just to kill one man?" Kovu asked Kopa, hoping that talking to him would keep him alive.

"Huh? Fuck yes." Kopa tried to smile, before coughing up blood again.

He then used whatever little strength he had left in him to lean forward and whisper in Kovu's ear.

"_Hoo-Ah." _Kopa breathed the cry of a true Pridelander warrior, before collapsing back; dead.

Kovu sucked up the last of his tears and wiped the remaining grime and tears off his dead partner's face. He then pulled his eyelids shut, so he could rest in peace, for once. At this point, Kovu had run out of tears to cry, which seemed to shock him. This sort of thing was becoming normality for him. But it would no longer be. Heckler was dead. Kovu picked his body up and carried it down the massive flight of stairs, one step at a time. He deserved to be with the great kings, even though he never officially was one. Kovu couldn't begin to imagine how he would explain this to Vitani, and he didn't even know about the seed he had planted inside her; he didn't know that the man was going to be a father, just like he was.

Kovu sorrowfully carried Kopa down to the hotel lobby, where a mixture of PI1 and Interpol officers, along with several local Swiss police officers waited. Kovu couldn't care less. They would never feel what he felt, or suffer what he had suffered. Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up and slowly let Kopa down, so he could talk properly. T

"Hello?"

"_Congratulations Kovu! You're a dad! Your son was born less than five minutes ago." _Nala reported to him joyfully, Kovu could hear the cries of the baby in the background. It all seemed to contrast to the horrible noises from before.

"Where is Kiara?" Kovu asked immediately.

"_She's right here, hold on a sec..." _Kovu heard the phone get passed on.

"_Hello? Kovu is that you?" _Kovu instantly recognized the sound of his wife's voice.

"Hey baby, how you doing?" Kovu asked her, and for the first time for a while, he smiled.

"_I'm great. I've got a surprise for you when you get home..." _Kovu smiled again.

"I can't wait to see him. I'll call you back later. See you my love." Kovu said and was about to hang up.

"_WAIT! We still haven't got a name yet...What do you want to call him?" _The question caught Kovu off guard.

He thought long and hard for a moment, before finally thinking of a name. It was the name of a hero.

"Simba. His name's Simba."

* * *

**Tada! Like it? Answer enough of your questions? And anyone that wants personal info on me, read my profile as that is all I am willing to disclose. Due to popular demand, the Modern Human Version Series will continue...but not in the form of a sequel! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	55. Epilogue: Figure Eights Of Life

**And so it ends... This is it people. No more. This is the conclusion. There is a little surprise in there, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Anyway, who enjoyed the darker MHV3 in comparison to the first and second stories? And who thinks Friedrich Heckler ranks up with iconic villains like Scar and Zira? This, in my opinion, has been my greatest work yet and I want to know if you guys agree. Also...this story wouldn't have been possible without the help and guidance of my co-author and mate; Haradion. So give him a thanks as well will ya?**

**Cheers: JJZ-109**

* * *

**EPILOGUE: FIGURE EIGHTS OF LIFE**

Nothing gave Kovu more discomfort than telling Vitani what had happened to her only ever love, and delivering her the folded Pridelands Flag. She carried on in misery for days; not speaking for hours on end, and not eating anything. At night, it wasn't the baby Simba II's crying that kept Kovu awake, it was Vitani's. It had all been in the name of revenge.

The day that the Pridelands defeated Delta-Shadow and HYENA would join the battle of the Outlands, and even more famous, the First Battle of Prideland City in the history books and commemoration. Very few learned the secrets behind the conflict, and fewer knew the suffering of the people within those secrets. Heckler and his cause had turned the great circle of life into more of a 'figure eight', but it eventually curved back the right way. A statue was raised upon the natural landmark of Pride Rock; a statue of Simba pointing his pistol out onto the horizon. He would always be there watching over the Pridelands, and defending them. A plaque and fountain was also made in the Palace lobby.

_In memory of the victims of the rise of HYENA _

_82 Pridelander soldiers, pilots, and Marines._

_4 Intelligence Officers_

_9 Palace Guards_

_17 Police officers_

_247 other civilian freedom fighters_

_All victims of the Prideland Airport Massacre_

_They will live on in the hearts of those whom they left behind. Those whom they gave their lives to save. And those whom will never know of their sacrifice._

The inscription was written in gold on black marble while cool, clear water poured down it. On the other side of the fountain was another plaque.

_Simba Taylor (1994-2045) King, inspiration, father._

_Conner 'Kopa' Palladino/Taylor (2012-2045) Savior, son, hero._

_Eugene 'EJ' Jones (1996-2045) Warrior, war hero, ally forever._

_Harrison Dion (2023-2045) Friend, soldier, brother._

_Assassination of Friedrich Heckler, + 10 years._

Kiara left her children's side and slowly walked up the flowing, peaceful fountain. This day marked ten years since the fall of Friedrich Heckler, and the liberation of the Pridelands. She slowly walked forward, with an orchid in her hand. That type of flower had always been the type Simba had compared her to as a little girl. A tear slid down her face as she slowly stopped in front the fountain, and gently stuck the flower next to Simba's name. She would never forget her father; the man that had given his life to save hers. She gently touched Simba's name before sucking up the tears and walking back to everyone else.

Vitani then walked forward, holding her daughter 'Alyssa' by the hand and holding a white rose in the other. A white rose was the one that Kopa had been wearing on his suit when she first fell in love with him. She gently touched Kopa's name and felt the cool water trickle down her fingers. Alyssa broke the silence.

"Mom...what happened to daddy? What was he like?_" _She asked Vitani innocently. Little Alyssa had never known her father.

"Sweetie, your father was a hero. He died so we could all live in peace." Vitani told her.

"But-"

"Hush." Vitani quickly silenced her and walked with her back to the rest of the family.

When she rejoined them, an elderly Nala stepped forward, holding a red poppy flower. She now had long grey streaks in her blond hair, and walked with a poppy flower was known as the flower of war, getting its color from soaking up all the blood in the ground. And it would be the one that EJ would want. EJ had been Nala's last good friend, even through all the bickering, wisecracks and sarcasm the two were always there for each other. Nala never thought she would feel his absence like a whole in her heart.

She gently placed the poppy next to EJ's name, and saluted. They were always the two guardians of the Pridelands, kicking ass since 2015. Nala then hobbled her way back to the family, and the last person stepped forward. It was the heroic pilot; Corporal Colette Lorenzo, who still flew with the PRMC.

She carried not a flower, but something that she had held onto for a long time; Agent Dion's PI1 badge. She held her emotions back and slowly pinned the badge next to his name, before kissing her fingertips and touching his name. She withdrew the same hand, and saluted.

Kovu then walked out in front of the group and cleared his throat.

"I just want to thank you all for coming today, it really meant a lot to me. Ten years ago, many people died, and we achieved the impossible. Thank you, all of you." Kovu addressed them and nodded solemnly.

He rejoined his family sighed.

"Dad, can we go home now? This was boring..." Simba II complained.

"Simba! Show some respect." Kiara nudged her son, with her unoccupied arm. The other held onto their three year old daughter, Charlee.

"Yeah. Mommy I'm hungry..." Charlee whined.

"Take Charlee home. I still want to do the sunrise with Simba." Kovu told her, and Simba's face lit up. What did Kovu mean by that?

"What? What do you mean 'sunrise'" Simba II asked Kovu.

"It's a surprise." Kovu winked at him and looked Kiara, who smiled at him.

"Kiara...you can have the night off if you want. I'll take the kids and we can have pizza and movies." Nala offered.

"YAY!" Simba, Charlee and Alyssa all cried out in unison.

"You spoil them rotten." Kovu raised an eyebrow at Nala.

"I'm a grandma...it's what I'm supposed to do." Nala joked, and started leading all the kids over to the elevator.

Simba II followed after her, but Kovu gently put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"You don't stay up late, you hear me?" He told him softly.

"Why?" The ten year old Simba II asked.

"Because you're going to be waking up early tomorrow." Kovu winked at him, and Simba finally understood. He had never done that before.

_The next morning_

Simba was suddenly shaken awake by his unimpressed father. He groaned and slowly, he recognized his father looking over him angrily.

"You shouldn't have stayed up late." Kovu growled at him.

"But Grandma Nala said we could watch movies." Simba moaned.

"Really? Which movies?"

"You know..._Scarface_, _Reservoir Dogs_...the usual stuff." Simba replied and forced himself out of bed.

"She didn't _really _let you watch those did she? You're ten!" Kovu sighed.

"Yep." Simba confirmed. Kovu shook his head.

"Anyway, get dressed. And be quick." Kovu ordered his son.

Kovu felt a daunting feeling as he led his son up to the hatch that went onto the roof of the palace. This was something that was traditional to do, and he had been waiting a long time to do it. Mufasa had done it to Simba, and Simba had done it to him. Now it was Simba II's turn. Kovu tried to flush out the nervous feeling; he had done the impossible in defeating Heckler right? This shouldn't be a problem for him. It was just that now he was in charge of the whole circle of life thing, and he couldn't let it slip into another figure eight pattern like he had with Heckler. He had wondered what he would do with himself when Heckler was dead, and this was it; bring the next generation forth. Be a good father.

They climbed onto the roof, and the cold morning air hit them instantly. Kovu heard his son's teeth chatter together.

"You okay?" Kovu asked him.

"Yeah."

The two of them stood out on the roof, as the sun slowly rose over the Pridelands, illuminating the roads, buildings and landscape before them. The sky glowed a pinkish-orange color and Kovu sighed.

"Look Simba. Everything the light touches is our country." Kovu started off.

"Wow! You control all this?" Simba asked curiously.

"Yes...well, not really. We're a Constitutional Monarchy Simba." Kovu corrected him.

"A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, the sun will set on my time here...and rise with you as the new boss." Kovu smiled at his son again, who seemed very impressed.

"And that means I have to be in charge?"

"Yeah." Kovu answered.

"Everything the light touches...What about tha-" Simba started but was cut off.

"That's East Side. Coincidentally the mountain casts a shadow over that area. If I catch you in that end of town before you're eighteen...there will be trouble. If you want some funny stories about that place, talk to your grandmother." Kovu interrupted him.

They gazed out into the sunrise for another few minutes, before Kovu broke the peaceful silence.

"Everything here exists in a delicate balance. As King, you need to understand that balance. From the booming economy, to a random piece of trash on the road." Kovu continued.

"But we throw away the trash don't we?"

"Yes Simba but let me explain. When we throw it away it is recycled, so it does not pollute the air. If the air is polluted, we cannot breathe. You see? We are all connected in the great circle of life." Kovu explained, and felt a warm breeze blow through his hair. That was when he knew it. King Simba the great was with them.

Kovu closed his eyes, and listened as the wind blew a hauntingly beautiful tone. He felt the breeze die down, and then he opened his eyes. Simba II was still admiring the sunrise. Kovu turned around slowly, and his heart stopped.

Four ghostly figures stood at the other end of the roof, watching him. Their bodies were outlined with a golden glow, signifying their place among the great kings. The first was a bulky man, about 6'2 tall, and had shoulder length auburn hair, with a neat, thin mustache. It was Mufasa Taylor, the wise King. He smiled at Kovu warmly. The next man was taller, but slightly lighter built. He had short hair of the same color and wore his distinctive sleeveless yellow khaki shirt. He was Simba Taylor, the most inspirational leader the world had seen. and winked at him. The next man was built like a warrior, and wore a sleeveless combat shirt with camouflage pants and a headband. It was Eugene 'EJ' Jones, the guardian and warrior of the Pridelands. And he gave Kovu a friendly little salute. The last man, and certainly not the least wore a tuxedo, had auburn hair brushed backwards and soul patch beard. It was Conner 'Kopa' Palladino, the son of Simba. He also gave Kovu a little smile.

Kovu raised a hand, and saluted them. They all returned the gesture with a smile.

"Dad? What are you doing?" Simba II asked his father.

Kovu turned to face him.

"What? Nothing son." Kovu answered and looked back to where Mufasa, Simba, EJ and Kopa were standing.

They had vanished. Kovu shook his head and smiled again. They would always be there with him, guiding him...always.

"What's going on?" Simba II asked.

"Nothing. Now let's go get some breakfast hey?" Kovu suggested and Simba II nodded.

Kovu felt the warm sun on his shoulders as he descended down the hatch, and he sighed. _That went well. _Simba II followed him down and they progressed down to the garage.

"Dad, can we take the 500?" Simba requested and Kovu raised an eyebrow.

"I guess so..." Kovu agreed.

"YES!" Simba II exclaimed. That blue 1968 GT-500 was the car he felt the greatest connection to, and he liked to show off by being in it.

Kovu jumped into the classic vehicle beside his son and started the motor.

_VRUM!_

He revved the massive engine several times to his son's delight, before starting to slowly guide it towards the gate. It was then Simba II asked something Kovu never thought he'd ask, and some he would never forget. And something he wasn't prepared to answer.

"Dad...Who is Friedrich Heckler?" Kovu stamped on the breaks.

There was a long and awkward pause between them as Kovu thought about how to answer. Flashbacks and images suddenly flashed through his mind from that fateful time period, and he shook them off quickly.

"Son...In your history classes you will learn about people like Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and even your great, great uncle Taka 'Scar' Taylor. But they will never tell you about Friedrich Heckler. Firstly because very few know of his very existence...and even less the true extent of what he was. Secondly, the few that do know of him, will never speak of what he's done." Kovu said seriously, and Simba II wasn't really prepared for that sort of answer.

"So, who is he and what did he do?" Simba II insisted.

"Simba...just never say that name in my presence. Are we clear?" Kovu almost growled at him.

"Yes dad." Kovu nodded and started his engine again.

They exited the palace without another word and sped away, into the horizon, while the sun still rose over their homeland; a peaceful, safe, and prosperous homeland, never to be interrupted again.

_**THE END**_

* * *

**THE END. Words that took me five months to get to. Hope you all enjoyed this work as much as I have. If we could do 250 reviews that would be really special :) **

**Anyway, the most important part of the epilogue is the final A/N. Why? Because the next story is announced. Many of you know I was assisted by Haradion in this story, so I guess I am pretty grateful for it. Due to popular demand, the Modern Human Version Series will continue. But...not in the form of another sequel or a 'Modern Human Version 4'. Instead, we go back the 1960s and 70s; the reign of Ahadi. We will follow the story of one whose sins are as numerous as the stars in the sky. **

**Judgement: Modern Human Version...In development and coming soon! Stay tuned!**

**This has been JJZ-109, and as always...Have a nice day.**


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